Metamorphosis
by Nature9000
Summary: Identity is something we all search for, but to find it we must search within. Trina must come to do this, rather than look for validation from those near her. As she learns her obsession with stardom may not be her destiny. Rather than wilt in Tori's shadow, she leaves on a trip to focus on another passion. Can she find her identity and blossom, and what does fate hold for her?
1. Butterfly

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This is a story I've been wanting to do for a long time. I hope that you will like it, and I think my regular readers will find it a wonderful treat (and a nice breath of fresh air that for once doesn't focus on the horrors of life). This story's setting is the martial arts camping trip that Trina goes to. In this story, it's where she finds her identity, and just where she's meant to be in life. A journey of self-discovery, if you will

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><p>Chapter 1 (Butterfly)<p>

Trina sat on the middle step of the long spiral staircase, her lips were pursed and her elbows were bent atop her knees. Down below, Tori's friends were hanging out around the couch in the living room while waiting on Tori to finish whatever it was she was doing.

"A summer without Trina?" Her ears perked and her eyes darted over to Robbie. "We'll get Tori all to ourselves, that's certain. I'm sure she'll appreciate the break." She huffed and straightened her back; but was too exhausted to get involved in this discussion.

She knew why they didn't like her: they thought she tried too hard to get attention. Maybe that was the case, she didn't know. When her dad got promoted to Deputy Chief a few years ago, and her mother began working long hours at the hospital, she didn't have anyone to talk to.

Tori felt the pain of their absence also, and she once told Trina that this was the reason she spent so much time with her friends. "She tries so hard to be her sister and she's not," Andre said abruptly. "She's not talented, she's not socially skilled, and quite frankly, she spends so much time trying to be someone else-I'm not sure she even knows who the hell she is."

"Tori says she's an athlete," Jade scoffed. Trina raised an eyebrow and closed her eyes, visualizing herself giving Jade a kick in the head.

The one thing she knew about herself was she was a martial artist. She could and had taken on all three of Tori's guy friends. She'd been on the track team as well, so she could outrun each of these people.

_"So I obsessively pursue fame. Why do they care?"_ Was it so much to ask for some attention once in a while? She thought on Tori, Tori had achieved 'stardom' at Hollywood Arts, and now everyone and their sister acted like they wanted to sleep with the girl.

"She is talented," Cat retorted. Trina set her chin on her forearms and stared at the wall straight ahead. "You guys are always being mean to her, I don't know why you do it. Have any of you considered she tries to come around us so she can have some friends."

Beck raised a finger and chuckled. "Well in our defense, so does Tori." Trina scoffed under her breath and slowly shook her head. She knew the truth: Tori only said the things she did when she was around her friends. "And she needs to get her own friends. Just saying. Even Tori doesn't like her, though…"

At home, Tori still treated her like a sister. Tori also wasn't obsessed with stardom, she still had a passion for certain subjects that she was so involved in back at her old school. Among which, science.

"I won't miss you guys either," Trina whispered under her breath, "I could drop kick each and every one of you right now."

No one wanted to be her friend, she already acknowledged that. Many people said she was too crazy, too unpredictable and just plain dull. _"Maybe they're right. Maybe I try too hard, maybe I don't know who I am. I thought I did. I thought I was pretty, I thought I was smart, I thought I was…a lot of things…"_

Her heart sank and she slid her head down to bring her eyes to her forearms. Her stomach began to ache and a violent, stinging pain spread over her chest. _"Always hardest to ignore them, though. They aren't wrong about me. I'm ugly, I'm stupid, I have no business-"_

"Trina!" Tori's voice pulled her away from her thoughts. She lifted her head and glanced behind her. Tori's bedroom door was open and the bedroom light was on. "Trina come quick! It's hatching! It's coming! Hurry!"

The urgency pulled at her. She rose to her feet and took one last look at the friends. They were still talking amongst themselves, none of them noticed Tori calling out to her or even her presence. She wasn't too surprised. Perhaps she was invisible.

"Trina!" A sharper tone now. She walked quickly to the bedroom.

"What is it, Tori?" Tori was sitting in front of the habitat on her dresser. It was filled with leaves, branches, and numerous items one would find in a habitat for caterpillars and butterflies.

Attached to a high branch was a large cocoon that had been there for quite some time. It had been a gift from Ian, and Tori monitored it every single day. "It's hatching." Tori put a finger to her lips and slid them into a tiny smile. "The baby butterfly is going to emerge."

Trina pushed her hands into her denim pockets and approached the habitat. "I thought you said it was going to hatch yesterday, and then the day before that."

"It takes time." Tori looked at the habitat and gripped firmly the pen in her hand. A notebook rested on Tori's legs, hanging partially over her knees. Clean notes had been taken, with notes written down for each hour. "It takes love, patience, time and so much. Above all, love."

"Love?" She pulled her right hand out and motioned to the glass. "It's a cocoon. An insect. How do you love an insect? Bugs are-"

"Don't say that! You'll hurt her feelings and she won't come out of her shell." Tori spat out at her and closed her eyebrows together while raising her voice. "Most bugs are hideous, sure, but not a butterfly. Butterflies are beautiful creatures."

Trina crossed her arms and her eyes to the cocoon. At the top of the aquarium was a piece of tape labeled 'Trina'. "Tell me you didn't name that thing after me…"

"I did. Deal with it."

"Great. A bug is named after me." She sat on the edge of Tori's bed and swept her hair over her ear. "Explain this process to me? What's so fascinating?"

"It's metamorphosis. The changes that are involved in the creation of the most beautiful butterfly." She leaned forward, perching her chin on her closed hand and studying the cocoon that Tori was watching.

There were others strewn about, but this one was the one Tori said was the closest to its place in the cycle. "We're looking at a Monarch butterfly-one of the most beautiful. Now, granted the caterpillars don't look like much-"

"Caterpillars are disgusting tiny little things with giant creepy heads."

Tori's face went sour and her eyes narrowed at Trina. "Ahem. Anyway…" Trina flashed a toothy grin and Tori turned away with a heavy sigh. "They emerge from tiny little eggs hatched by mama butterfly."

"'Mama Butterfly'?"

"Yes."

"Do continue…"

"Thank you." Tori rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So the caterpillar eats its egg to get all the nutrients it needs, then goes off to eat other things."

"Like leaves!"

"Ugh. Yes. Anyway as they grow, they shed their skins. Multiple times, and this process is called 'instar'." Trina watched Tori tap some notes in her book. She thought about the name of the process and found it funny, almost like the caterpillar wasn't yet a star. "Then the last time they shed their skin is when they begin something called pupation. You may think they're inside something, but actually they are the cocoon."

"What?" She dropped her hand and leaned upright.

"They are the cocoon." Tori pointed to the one she was watching and raised her eyebrows. "They give a plantlike appearance to protect from predators, but that is their skin. They shed it after a couple weeks. The cocoon is their final skin before the gorgeous butterfly emerges from her shell and she shocks the world."

"And you said this one is ready?"

"Well, each cocoon in the habitat Ian sent me, he also sent me detailed notes of when the shopkeeper said they begun. Some were still caterpillars when I got them. The one I'm watching is just the oldest one."

"Oh. I see."

"But if you look closely, you can see that she's ready to finally emerge from her shell." Trina walked over and stared at the cocoon. She saw what her sister was saying; the cocoon wasn't green as it had first been. Rather it was darker in color, but there were a variety of shades, and she could see some movement.

The bottom of the cocoon was bulging as well, like the creature was pushing down.

"Now be quiet, this is a slow process."

"You realize your friends are downstairs, right?"

"They can wait." Tori pointed to a second chair in the room. It had a large white teddy bear seated upon it that had been given from Ian. "Pull that chair over, but be careful with Fuzzy. Set him on the bed."

"Alright." She did as instructed and sat down beside Tori. She was not lying about this process being a slow one.

At first it looked like a spider was emerging from the bottom of the cocoon. Four tiny, fuzzy legs gripped the bottom of the shell. Whatever wings the insect had were tiny. "I thought they would be larger."

"What?"

"The wings. I thought they'd be larger."

"It takes about half an hour for the wings to grow." Her eyebrow rose and she looked up at the clock. She would have to get to the airport in a few hours to catch the flight towards her summer camp. Was this Tori's attempt to spend any bit of time with her before she left.

"I promise you won't be late to your flight to the martial arts place." Trina chuckled once and returned her focus on the butterfly.

The body was dark and its antennae were long. The insect was facing her, and though she could not see its eyes, she felt like it were watching her. She turned her head partially and slanted her eyes at the bug.

"Tori. Why does it take so long for the wings to grow?"

"Because she has to pump some sort of fluid into them. That fluid gives the wings its magnificence."

"Oh." Currently the wings were tiny and a dark shade of orange with black stripes like veins and white spots that dotted the black border of the wings.

As they sat there, what Trina witnessed amazed her. The wings were indeed growing, and rather than just two, there were four-or at least two wings sectioned to look like four.

They were large now and truly giant. The wings were a brighter shade of orange. The dots looked like pearls that adorned a brilliant crown. She felt Tori's hand clutching hers as the butterfly spread its wings and took off from the twig.

"What will happen to her, Tori? Will you release her into the wild?"

"Yeah." Tori released her grip on Trina's hand and made eye contact with her. "She'll spend her life feeding on nectar from flowers. This habitat, this world is too small for her. She needs to see the world, to spread her wings and fly-see the world and find herself. One day she'll lay eggs and bring forth so many more beautiful butterflies."

"Wow…"

Tori moved her head to Trina's shoulder and closed her eyes. "I'm going to miss you this summer. I don't care what my friends say, I wish you were sticking around here."

"Yeah, well, I think you're all going to appreciate having me out of your hair." Trina laughed for a second and turned her attention to the butterfly. It was truly remarkable, she had to admit to that. To take the time to witness something so beautiful form, she was grateful.

"You know. Mr. Sikowitz was talking to us and I brought up your trip. He said his nephew was actually in charge of all the counselors at that camp you're going to. Maybe you'll run into the guy?"

"Well if he's in charge, I probably will. I don't know the guy, so what's the point?"

"I don't know. He's Mr. Sikowitz's nephew, and you know Mr. Sikowitz, so I thought maybe it would be nice to know someone at that camp that is associated with someone you know here."

"Ah." She stood up and pat Tori on the back. "Got it. Well, I'll be sure to bring up that connection."

"It's not much, I know. I just thought it'd make things a little easier on you. It's a martial arts camp, he's in charge, so maybe he'll go easy on you." She started to laugh again, then slowly left the room.

"That isn't something that worries me, sis."

"You'll write, won't you?" She stopped in the doorway and glanced to the side. "I know you think mom, dad, and I don't really care, but it would mean a lot if you wrote. You won't have your phone, so I can't call to see how you're doing."

"I'm going to write to you guys, Tori. Don't worry about that." She looked at Tori and her muscles softened. The girl's head was bowed just a bit and her pen was tapping slowly on the notebook. "Tori, what's the problem?"

"Nothing really. I was thinking, you know how Mr. Sikowitz has this big statuette on his desk?"

"Not really. I don't have his class." She knew of the item Tori was talking about, though. It was a large marble statue of a lion, standing proud on a rock. The lion looked out across the room, its kingdom and domain. The fierce protector, the fearless king and commander. "Wasn't it a gift or something?"

"Yeah, from Jason. His nephew. Mr. Sikowitz said Jason gave it to him so that it could watch over the man or something. We accidentally knocked it off the desk today, it broke and Mr. Sikowitz got so angry." Trina frowned as Tori let out a sad chuckle.

"Could it be fixed?"

"Yeah, he said it was okay once he cooled off. It didn't break as badly as we thought, he was going to take it home and glue it back together."

"A broken lion…"

"I hope he can be fixed. That poor lion."

"Just a statue, Tori. Nothing to fret over."

Tori leaned forward and perched her chin on the palm of her hand. Her eyes focused and studied the butterfly, now sitting against the glass. "Right. Nothing to fret over." Tori turned her head and smiled at Trina. "But seriously, I'm going to miss you when you're gone."

"I'll miss you too." She smiled back at the girl and poked her thumb over her shoulder. "More than I'm going to miss the friends of yours that are still waiting for you." Tori's eyes widened and she jumped up from the chair.

"Damn, I forgot about them!" Trina laughed loudly as Tori rushed by her. When she started to silence herself, she moved her hand to her stomach and looked back at the butterfly. Her heart lifted and her features softened.

Once more she felt the bug's eyes watching her. She walked towards the case and leaned forward, gazing back. "Sorry if I hurt your feelings earlier," she whispered. The butterfly flapped its wings once and its antennas moved inwards, as if it could understand what she was saying. "You really are a beautiful thing."

With that, the creature flapped its wings once more and took off, fluttering about the habitat. Trina chuckled once more and took a seat, watching it with a new fondness in her heart.

"Still." Her lips separated to release a small breath, then closed and stretched into a wide smile. "Tori needs a pet. Maybe Dad will consider buying that puppy she's been asking about since we were kids?"

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><p>This is not just a romance.<p> 


	2. Arrival

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 2 (Arrival)<p>

The goodbyes were interesting, though dull. Tori was the most vocal, hugging Trina and repeating a long string of demands. She wanted Trina to write, to look after herself, use sunscreen whenever she could, and to stay in the camp.

Evidently, the girl felt a need to take such an approach because Holly was too busy filing her nails and saying nothing. David at least hugged Trina and told her to be safe, but other than that, he was checking his pager and phone the entire time they were at the airport.

When she arrived at the camp, she received a number of looks that made her feel uncomfortable. She was carrying with her a number of bags and was wearing a long vanilla dress with chiffon sleeves. Her hair was up in a bun-she preferred ponytails but for some strange reason she opted to be different.

At the root of it, she didn't think she would look good in the dress with a ponytail.

The camp itself was in the middle of nowhere. They were surrounded by mountains and woodland, and the campgrounds were within what appeared to be a giant castle on the outside. They were simply large grey walls that held enough rooms to house an army. At first glance, it was intimidating and she wondered how long it would take to get word to her family if she ended up dying out here.

Greeting her at the entrance of the camp was a boy standing close to six feet-just an inch below. She was dwarfed by him, since she was five foot three. He had short hair that looked like a burning fire colored brown as the sand on the California beaches.

His large arms were crossed, tightening the muscles in his chest, and his legs were spread apart. As his right eyebrow rose, she could feel his questioning gaze burning into her. "I'm sorry." He unfolded his arms and walked towards her. His lips were pulled into an attractive smirk that caused her to freeze on the spot.

_"No, ignore this attraction Trina, you do not have luck with men."_

She cleared her throat and straightened her back, watching as he approached her. "This is a camp for martial artists." She dropped her eyes to the GI he was wearing. It consisted of a black top, black pants, red stripes that ran along the frame of his collar and flaps of the jacket. Around his waist was a belt, black as night. "Not fashionistas.

"I know that." She narrowed her eyes at the man an scowled. "Katrina Vega. I have a brown belt." The man curled a finger over his chin and his eyes moved along her body, but not in a fashion that would imply a man undressing a woman, but rather studiously. "You don't believe me?"

"It isn't that I don't believe you." He pulled his hands behind his back. "It's more I'm wondering why you would come to camp with so much luggage, and of course you're wearing a dress. You're not about to attend any gala, no balls here. Strictly fighters." He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. "I'm a little worried, actually, that you may break a nail and start complaining about it."

She closed her mouth and pursed her lips, glaring at him as her blood began to churn. "Oh, well, screw you." His smirk returned and she forced her eyes away. "I suppose you missed where I said I was a brown belt."

"What does that say about you?"

"It says I've been involved in martial arts since I was a child."

"Are you still the child, searching and curious; or are you the woman, strong and confident?" She pursed her lips, but remained silent. His question meant something, but she couldn't answer it because she didn't know what to expect from it. "You may be in the advanced stages of your belts, but have you grown into it?"

"What are you saying?"

"Every belt, every stage, represents and says something about the wearer." He tilted his head to the side and his eyes moved to the right. "Brown signifies a seed that is beginning to ripen. A maturing, or harvesting process…change, preparing for red. The student is advanced, their techniques and abilities are starting to mature and of course they begin to understand all the hard work it took to get there."

"Okay." She pointed to his belt and smirked back at him. "What about you, Mr. Smartass?" His eyebrow rose and he turned his gaze back to her. "You're a black belt. What does that signify?"

"Darkness beyond the sun." She pulled her head back and watched his shoulders rise. His eyes closed and he spoke with a certainty that held an authoritative tone. "A black belt looks for newer, more profound knowledge. Martial arts is a craft, an art, a trade that requires great skill-the black belt has mastered this craft."

The man exhaled slowly and his eyelids opened partially. "He teaches, planting new seeds into beginnings and helping them grow…the black belt is as much a nurturer and teacher as they are an authority on the subject. Their students blossom under their leadership-" He pulled his right hand up, balled it and placed it on his chest. "I help them to grow and what they find is growth within, knowledge about themselves and about their craft, and greater enlightenment."

"My next belt is red…what's that?"

"Fire."

"Fire?"

He closed his eyes and shrugged. "One way to put it. It is the heat of the sun, and you are the tree that grows towards it. Reaching to grasp it. Here you will learn to be cautious with both what you know and your physical ability. For you are dangerous, lethal, and your belt warns those that you are dangerous." His eyes opened back and the smirk on his face deepened as his eyes shone with a flicker of that very flame he spoke of. "Fire."

The red belt knew who they were, knew what they were. She started to smile as she visualized herself in this powerful mode. She wasn't there yet, but she could feel the pride from within. She could reach that point.

"Three months to hone my skills. Maybe I can harness a bit of that fire?"

"We'll see." The man leaned his shoulder against the wall and chuckled at her luggage. "But first you may have to get used to the camp itself. I think you'll find it easier to wear your GI and probably loose clothing rather than a long dress."

"I don't see anything wrong with a dress."

"Me either, but can you perform a high kick in it?"

She thought about doing just that, and perhaps kicking this guy in the head. Still, she knew better than to do that in a dress that ran down to her ankles. "I do that, I'm going to fall flat on my ass."

"Yes."

Her smirk increased as she stepped beside him and raised her hand up, holding it inches above his shoulder. "You'd like to see that, wouldn't you?"

"Certainly would be interesting, but I'm not asking you to do anything to embarrass yourself." His eyes fell to her luggage and a sigh left his lips. "Did you bring your GI? I hope you have a few. Furthermore, did you bring any simple clothing? Shirts, pants, anything that you don't mind getting dirty…"

"Of course." Since this camping trip was approximately three to four months, she had a large amount of clothing she had. She was informed that students had their own rooms with one other roommate, so she hoped to make the best of whatever storage space she had. In the brochure, it was said the camp did have a laundry area, so she was able to deal with cleaning her clothes.

She'd purchased eleven GIs before, and had one that her own sensei had given to her once before, so currently she packed all twelve uniforms. Each had their own belt included, of course these belts had to be ordered specially along with the uniform so the wearer could obtain the correct level.

Aside from her uniforms, she brought with her a number of tank tops, short sleeved shirts and thin cut long sleeved shirts. She had knee length shorts, long jeans and simple pants also packed away.

"I might have packed a bit more than I needed to, but I think it'll be alright."

"Yeah, just be careful to remember you're sharing the room with one other person. The closet isn't a large one, but it is a walk-in, so make sure there's enough room to share her clothes as well."

"Sure." She started to enter, but stopped to peer at the walls. There were walkways at the top, like battlements of old time castles. "Any reason why this place looks like a castle?"

"Because…it was built that way?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Very funny, smartass." He laughed and stepped in beside her. As she looked out at the yard, she realized it wasn't so much a true castle as it was a border that closed off a gigantic yard.

"Much obliged." There were some buildings scattered about, smaller hut like buildings that likely belonged to standard campground areas: The mess hall, the cafeteria, and so forth. "Honestly though, I think the people that run the camp decided to make the walls like apartments…and put walkways so that people can enjoy the outside view. View from the walkways up there-remarkable."

"You've been up there?" They looked to be a mile high, though it could just be her eyes playing a trick on her. "They almost touch the sky."

"True. I'm always up there. Like I said, it's a grand view." He smiled at her and crossed his arms. "Perhaps I'll run into you up there sometime."

"Maybe. I'm not sure about the height part."

The plane ride itself had been nerve-wracking for her. She'd only flown one other time, and that was with her sister. When she was that high up, her heart would start pacing and the world would spin around her-so she truly needed something to distract her from the fears of plummeting into the ground.

"Heights and I don't really get along. Who knows, maybe I'll give them a try sometime."

"It'd be worth it. See you around."

When she finally arrived at her room, it wasn't entirely breathtaking. It was a simple room no bigger than her own bedroom. There were two twin sized beds, each positioned against the sides. She set her items on the bed next to the window and looked outside.

She could see a large body of water framed by a remarkable valley leading into what almost looked like a jungle. It was a stunning sight that took her breath away the moment she saw it. "That's what I'm talking about…"

Trina let out a soft exhale and folded her arms on the open windowsill. Her eyes closed over and she curled her lips up as the wind came in and caressed her cheeks, then swept into the hair which she'd let down on her way there.

After several seconds, she glanced to the right. There was a door leading into the bathroom. "A single bathroom, just great." She groaned and pushed herself from the window. "I fight over the restroom with my sister enough, now I'm going to be fighting over it with some girl I hardly know."

She approached it and glanced to the door on the left of the restroom. This was the walk-in closet, it was about eight feet long, but four feet wide. "I'll make do," she said with a sigh.

Once she unpacked everything and made sure there was enough room for her roommate, whenever the girl would arrive, she decided to head towards the building where all the campers were to meet up.

Before leaving though, she made sure to change into her uniform. She didn't need anyone mistaking her for a 'fashionista'. This GI consisted of a simple purple top and long purple pants. She bore her brown belt with pride.

She was eager to meet the one in charge of the counselors, the man Tori said was Sikowitz's nephew.

What she saw when she entered the building stopped her in her tracks. The wall to her left had photographs of those involved with the camp-from the owners to the head counselor.

Resting above the bust of a lion was the head counselor's picture. He had a name plate, but she didn't need it, for staring back at her were the eyes of the man she'd just met at the door.

Her jaw fell open and her eyes dilated. "_That_ was Jason?" She took a minute to regain her composure, but could not tear her eyes away. She wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed or concerned at this point, because for all she knew, she and the person in charge were off on a bad start. When she turned her head, she saw him walking by. He glanced at her and his mouth slid into a smirk.

"Good to see you made it here. You look different in the uniform."

"How come you didn't tell me you were in charge of everybody, so I could have avoided looking like a fool?"

"I want people talking to me as an equal, not like I'm in charge." He shrugged simply and walked off, leaving her in a momentary stupor.

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><p>Well we meet Jason. And those of you reading probably know him from the boy that showed up in the "sleepover at sikowitz" episode. IThere's more to Jason than meets the eye. Looks like here, Trina's going to have to show the martial arts side of herself, her diva starlet self is not going to survive a martial arts camp. Perhaps Jason can bring her out of her shell a little, and she him?<p> 


	3. Group Leader

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:Heading to Houston tomorrow. Here's this now. Cousin's getting married, things are going to be busy. Merry Christmas and I will try to get some updates in before the next semester at Midwestern rolls about.

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><p>Chapter 3 (Group Leaders)<p>

She felt different in the uniform, but that was never a surprise to her. It gave her a sense of relaxation and clarity that often escaped her in other areas of her life. Plus she wore it well, or at least she thought so.

Hell, it made her untouchable.

Trina put her hair up into a ponytail and examined her surroundings. Back home it was easy to latch onto someone so she didn't feel so alone, but here that wasn't the case. She knew no one by name or appearance, and each person she saw looked as though they'd drop her in an instant if she clung to them.

It was a new place, and all the unfamiliarity was intimidating enough. Fortunately for her, she didn't feel as nervous as she normally would have. "Okay, people." She turned her head as Jason's voice called out above the chatter of the many students that were in attendance.

She watched him jump up onto the stage and make his way to the center where a much older man stood. This man was about an inch or two taller, had long silver hair that fell in waves around his neck, and a pleasant smile framed by a stubbly goatee.

Behind them were nine counselors, each in the very late teens to early twenties. Like Jason, they were black belts. As she looked around her at the students surrounding her, she noticed a large multitude of white, yellow, green, orange, blue and purple. There were a few brown and perhaps one or two reds in the crowd.

"We're glad to see that everyone has made it safely. Let me introduce myself." Her gaze shot back at him and she folded her arms across her chest, smirking as she studied his strong posture. Part of her fantasized about toppling him, he seemed to have a guard up that was begging to be knocked down a peg or two. "My name is Jason Tyler, I'm the head counselor here. The man beside me is my sensei and the owner of this campsite, Frank Wyatt."

Talking to this man earlier, when he asked about her belt rank, she omitted one fact. While she practiced often and trained in her classes at the school, it had been some time since she'd been promoted.

She spent more time trying to escape the shadow of her sister by making a name for herself that she didn't dedicate time to learning formations to bring herself up into red. Sadly, it felt more like she simply wasted her time.

She moved her hands behind her waist and rolled her head back, sighing as she looked to the high ceiling. "Behind me are nine people you will get to become well acquainted with over the next four months," Jason continued. "They are your counselor, your sensei. You will each be sectioned into groups of ten, with one of us as your teacher."

Trina turned her attention back to him and raised an eyebrow as his gaze fell. Of all the people in the room, his eyes connected with hers. Her heart skipped and her breath caught in her throat as his mouth slid into a gentle but strong smile.

For the moment she found herself wondering if she'd be in his group. Part of her hoped for that to be the case, but primarily because she'd already spoken with him.

His gaze held her for a moment, drawing her in. She saw a strength in his eyes, but also a flicker of something else that was difficult to make out. Jason had the look of a man who had been through much; but he couldn't be a day over nineteen.

She moved her hand up to the bottom of her V-shaped collar and tucked her fingers over and inside. Her breathing grew shallow and the blood inside of her rushed to her skin, heating the longer that she was captivated by this man.

Jason's eyelids fell and rose slowly, then he turned to pace towards the right. "In your rooms, you'll find a daily schedule on your desk. This will be an essential tool for your success here." He spoke with such power and confidence that he could captivate an army if he had to.

This man knew who he was and where he stood, or at least, that's what it appeared to her.

"While you are here, you will wake up early in the morning and lights out at ten o'clock." She looked to her hands with a sigh and shrugged. Waking up early wasn't a big deal to her, she already woke up at six on most mornings anyway. It was the lights out policy she might have more difficulty with.

"Breakfast is at seven, lunch is at noon and dinner is at six." She flicked her eyes up and slid the right corner of her mouth into her cheek. "Class with your designated counselor will take up the bulk of your morning. In the afternoon we will have group activities, then you have in the evening until lights out an opportunity to explore the gym located on the south side of the campgrounds-spend time at the rec center, write letters to your family or do just about whatever you like. So long as it is within the rules and policies expressed in the camp brochure."

He turned towards the nine counselors and proceeded to introduce them by name. As he called on one, they would step forward and bow, then step back as he moved to the next. It was like a dance, and he was the maestro.

She listened earnestly as he went through the rules and policies in place. They were fairly standard and simple; stay within the grounds and do not go off alone. The camp counselor would be there to help with any needs, no matter great or small, and lights out meant lights out.

There was nothing to worry about since she was fairly certain not to be wandering the woods outside the campground anytime soon. She was looking forward to the group activities there were, and planned on hitting the gym on a regular basis if she could; though she preferred running on ground as opposed to a treadmill.

Her mind drifted back to their earlier conversation and his reaction to her showing up in a dress. A scowl stretched out on her face and she straightened her back while scoffing. _"This guy thinks I'm going to be one of those girls that worries about my appearance and sweat? Is that it?"_

She'd show him. He wasn't wrong, she had worried about that in the past, but it wasn't as though getting dirty were such a terrible thing.

After all the introductions and further details were given, everybody followed Jason and the other counselors outside. She bore his thought in mind as they discussed the selection process, whatever counselor she ended up on was the group leader and the one she had to follow for the next four months.

Trina caught herself focusing on Jason, her gaze lingered on him and mingled with his for a moment as the first counselor called out the ten names. _"Let it be him. This guy wants to know who I am, I'll show him who I am. I'm not some little miss fashionista." _She tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked towards the final student walking up to the first counselor.

With each counselor that went up, and each student called, she grew more anxious. No one called on her yet, and each leader had a list in their hands. She didn't know if these names were hand-picked or chosen at random.

Jason was currently leaning over the shoulder of the counselor to go up before him. As they were talking, Trina noticed him pointing at the list of names. She chewed on her lower lip and felt herself beginning to sweat. Jason pulled his list up and leaned back, his eyes studied the names until the counselor pointed to one.

_"What are they discussing?" _When she saw him glance over, she turned her head and held her breath. In the corner of her eyes she watched, growling slightly when his mouth twisted into a smug grin. _"He doesn't know what I'm thinking, does he? Smartass."_

The counselor he spoke with stepped up, calling out the names on his list-and when she didn't hear her name, she practically jumped for joy. Jason walked forward and her heart began to race. To conceal her trembling hands, she moved them behind her back and gripped her waist.

"Those who will be under me…" Jason read off each name, and each time he would glance up to the student-then he would look to Trina. When he did this, she would feel a strange sensation pulling her, daring her to walk up to him and demand to be placed on his team.

Her tongue slid across the inside of her lips, then she curled it up to brush her teeth. "And lastly." A lump began forming in her throat and she struggled to keep from stepping forward. When his eyes fell onto her, she took a deep breath and held it. "Katrina Vega."

"You're the one that was wearing the dress?" she heard someone beside her ask. "Good luck." Her eyes narrowed and she turned a glare onto the person. "I was here last year. He's the tough one."

"Gee thanks for the warning." She walked forward and glanced at the others in her group. They were all advanced belt levels, with the highest being red. This wasn't exclusive to Jason's group, however-most of the counselors kept their students at equal belts with at least one belt higher. "I don't think I'm going to need it."

She stepped up beside Jason and crossed her arms. The man turned his head partially and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so jittery? Relax."

"You try showing up to a martial arts camp in heels and a dress and see how people react." He curled his lips back and flashed a toothy grin.

"That would be an interesting sight. Too bad it's not something I would do." He motioned at the group and they followed him away from the others so he could talk to them. Ten students gathered before him, with Trina standing in the front row of five. "Okay guys, classes for us will start tomorrow at eight in the morning." He lifted three fingers and furrowed his brow. "That gives you three hours from the time you wake up to take your shower, get ready, have breakfast, and get to class."

Three hours meant waking up at _five_. Her heart sank and he withheld a groan. Though she didn't mind waking early, that was still something even she would consider early.

"Now I lock the door at exactly eight o'clock." She frowned at him and watched him pace to the left. His shoulders were flat and broad, and his arms seemed to tense as he held his wrists behind his back. For someone as toned and built as he was, he had a very narrow figure. It was surprising. "I will not let you in once we have started."

A student raised her hand and Trina glanced over curiously. "So if we're running a bit late?" It sounded obvious to her, the man did not stutter after all.

Jason turned partially and sighed. "You have three hours. You should not be late." The girl withdrew her hand and Jason exhaled. "I have an uncle that teaches at some art school-my mom's brother. His policy is more lenient than mine, this enables students to walk into his class half an hour late, or more." He raised his hand up and poked his thumb to his chest. "I will not tolerate this. It is disrespectful to your fellow students and to your teacher. Plus, when learning a craft or honing your skills, you need as much time as possible. If you cannot make an effort to show up to class, then you do not care. It is that simple."

Trina smirked and turned her head away. She was startled by this sudden smugness, but she had to admit that she agreed with his philosophy. Even if she didn't like it, it made sense.

People walked all over Mr. Sikowitz in the classroom, with some students coming and going as they pleased. Not only was it disrespectful, but it was distracting.

"Let's all try to come to class on time then," Trina stated. She could hear someone whispering about her dress fiasco. Clearly Jason wasn't the only one to see her show up in such a garment.

She turned her head and narrowed her eyes at the girls snickering in the back row. "She might be the one who ends up late to all the classes and gets sent home for it. Who comes in a-"

"Ahem!" Jason stepped forward, stopping close to the student. The girl stood straight and stared back at him with wide eyes. "Is there something _funny_?"

"N-No sir."

"That's 'sensei' to _you_." He turned his back to her and moved back to place. Trina's smirk increased and she closed her eyes, basking in the satisfaction. "For the next four months, the ten of you will be spending a lot of time together. More so than you will with any of the people in the other groups." He turned his head over his shoulder and glared sideways at the student. "Martial Arts is more than just fighting. It's a discipline that teaches self-worth, growth, and _respect_. You will learn to respect one another and treat each other as an equal."

"I understand. I'm sorry for the interruption."

"Do not disrespect your fellow students. I do not care how your first impression of them is, people are rarely what they appear."

She would do her best to show up on time, especially since she did not want to be booted from the camp. Considering Jason was the head, he also carried with him that discretion. Group leaders had to go to him first with the conduct of their student, and he would have to make the judgment call after some time of studying the conduct.

With this group, he would know who had to be sent home if something was done wrong. So it was best to remain on his good side.

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><p>It is true what they say, sometimes an outfit can seem to change a person-it has to do with confidence and how it makes you feel. Well this chapter was a good one. Did it seem like she wanted to be in his group? Hah, maybe wearing the dress to camp wasn't the best idea, but who can say, it's possible it garnered the attention of perhaps one of the better group leaders. Good side indeed, maybe she should remain there. By the way we will be hearing from Tori and seeing how everybody's holding up back home.<p> 


	4. Roommate's Arrival

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Made it to Houston so here's your chapter in a story of my choosing.

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><p>Chapter 4 (The Roommate)<p>

Outside the bedroom door was an archway that stood before a set of stairs leading up to the walkways at the top of the walls. When Trina passed them, she stopped to consider whether she wanted to head up.

While true that the view out her window was astounding, she still had a concern that she might grow nauseous standing on top of the wall. It wasn't as though the walkways would be skinny, the hallway she was in had to be at least ten feet in width.

The bile in her stomach started to swirl as she thought about how high up they were. The altitude was high enough ground level, and she was fairly certain her side of the compound was resting near the edge of a steep incline. "Must be about a fifty foot drop or more." Her hands trembled violently and her eyes darted to her bedroom door. "I think I'd better wait around for my roommate. Still haven't met her."

Trina pushed the bedroom door open and glanced at the small brown desk in between the two beds. With a smile she moved toward it and sat down. She folded her right forearm on the surface and slid her hand across the glossy top.

The texture was smooth like the desk in her bedroom back home, and it was wonderfully polished-to the point she could see herself sliding a drinking glass along it as a bartender might do.

Her fingertips stopped at the edge of a stapled document. Trina turned her hand over and pulled the paper towards her, reading over the top title. "The schedule Jason mentioned." Her breathing slowed as her eyes trailed the page.

Class ran from eight to eleven o'clock, leaving an hour between that to rest for lunch. The cafeteria closed at one o'clock and all the groups were to get together for whatever activity the group leaders decided on. Group play lasted until five, leaving an hour window before supper. The cafeteria would close again at seven.

Essentially students would have from five to ten o'clock to do whatever they pleased. It appeared a tight schedule, but there was some elbow room, and that was a good thing. She could schedule in some time for herself to do some exercises, jog around the perimeter, and do some other activities.

Of course she'd be smelly and dirty by the end of the day, so she would likely end up showering at night rather than the morning. Whatever the routine was, she would work it out with her roommate.

Trina glanced to the empty mattress next to her and sighed; it was a shame her roommate hadn't checked in yet. Not everyone had when the counselors were doing the name selections, since several names had been called and no one walked up.

Even then, there had been some still standing at the check in counter. It was very likely her roommate was still lingering around there.

To pass the time, Trina grabbed her notebook from her pack and carried it over to the desk. She planned to uphold her promise to write back to Tori and their parents, so now was as good a time as any.

She tapped the pen on the side of her jaw and flicked her eyes up in contemplation. _"Dear Tori…"_ She hung her tongue out partially on the left corner of her mouth and brought the pen down to the paper. _"First day's been interesting so far. Hard to be a diva in the middle of a martial arts camp, by the way, haha!"_ She smirked and slowly looked out the window.

_"Already here and people were making fun of me because I decided to wear that stupid dress. I should have rethought that. Stupid, stupid, stupid." _ Her shoulders fell and her eyebrows pushed together, shoving a small wrinkle up between them. _"Anyway, it is beautiful here, you would love it. There's a walkway along the walls that border the campgrounds, but I'm just a little scared to go up there. It's high up, but I bet the view would be worth it. I wonder if I should venture up there? I'm not good with heights."_

Trina brought her pen up and thought on the day's events. Jason entered her mind, with his handsome smirk and his casual pose leaning up against the wall. Her eyes shut down and she let the sound of her heartbeat pull her into a world of luxury.

A soft breath rolled off her tongue like the wind and her eyelids pulled up halfway. "What are you thinking, Trina?" She glanced at the paper and pressed her lips together.

"_Tori. I met that boy you were talking about. Your teacher's nephew, Jason. There's a little something about him, a deepness in his eyes, it just pulls you in when he looks at you. He's definitely the lead counselor, and he's also the group leader of the group that I am in. I hope I'm on good terms with him, because I kind of embarrassed myself with him earlier. We got into a little bit of an argument, though it was more of a simple disagreement, and then I realized who he was. I couldn't help myself! He saw me wearing the dress and said I looked like a fashionista. Can you believe that? I mean really. I get that it might not be appropriate attire for a camp, but a fashionista?" _

He was probably right for all she knew. It was a hard-pressed thought, but she should have known better than to wear a damned dress at a martial arts camp. What did that say about her level of devotion?

Her eyes narrowed and she pressed her fingers hard against the pen, scowling as the color in her forefinger and thumb started to drain.

_"I'm sick of doing the wrong thing, but how do I even know what's right? 'fashionista', 'diva', that isn't who I am is it? Who am I, Tori? I don't even know anymore; if I ever knew. I've been on my own for so long, trying to do what you do and trying to get involved with your friends despite that they don't want me around. Then there's mom and dad. Too busy to take notice. Everyone's too busy to care, to pay attention, so why the hell do I care so much?"_

_ "How do you do it, Tori? I encouraged you to not give up on Hollywood Arts. It didn't take long for you to become some superstar. Why? Why did it come so easily for you? Why did all you have to do is bat your eyelashes and everyone suddenly wants to drop to their knees for you?"_

At this point she was writing so quickly that she wasn't focusing on legibility. Her heart was racing and her body heating up. People only noticed her when she made a fool of herself, and it pissed her off.

Several lines of paper later, she took a moment to stop and breathe, reading over some of her more frantic lines with disdain. She knew they were difficult, but she wanted to keep her letters raw, so this was the draft she would send.

She wanted Tori to know how difficult things were for her, and how confusing life had become over the years. It wasn't Tori's fault that she felt like she'd been living in her sister's shadow, and she let the girl know. It wasn't Tori's fault that she got all the guys looking at her and Trina only got men who wanted to treat her as their doormat or some piece of tissue not good enough to wipe their ass with.

Tori would know just how she felt like she had to be somebody in order to gain notice. _"Your friends say I'm a nobody. I'm a nobody because I can't act and I can't sing. So it falls that I must be talentless. Apparently singing, acting, it's the only way to gain any kind of opportunity. Who am I if I'm not that? I'm nobody. Tori. I don't want to be nobody. I want to be somebody, I want to mean something to people. Why is that so hard? Why can't I find anyone who cares about me, for that matter? I sometimes wonder if I should give up…give up on men, give up on trying to be somebody-anybody…if you ask me, I'm destined to be a nobody."_

She continued on until she reached a point that she could end off with a few good notes. She did wish Tori's friends well and wanted to know how things were going back home, and if they were all having a decent time.

As she folded up the letter and pushed it into the envelope, there came a knock at the door. Her head jerked up and her heart skipped joyously. "Finally, my roommate's here." She hurried and opened the door, raising an eyebrow when she saw Jason in the doorway.

Her heart skipped a beat when their eyes connected. Trina's breath rattled in her throat. "You?" Hair was covering the right side of her face, so she brought her hand up to pull it from view. "You can't be here."

"Disappointed?" He laughed once and shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I'm not the roommate."

"Oh." She pulled her head back and glanced out into the hallway. "Was there a problem? Is my roommate not going to make it?"

"Nah, I just had to show your roommate the way to the room," Jason replied. Her lips moved in a circle and Jason motioned to the right. "She was a little late checking in, but she's here now, so I hope you two settle in all right." Did this man ever stop working? She had to know. "If you have any questions, you know where my office is."

Her hand slid down the door frame and she squinted at him. "I'm afraid I don't." Jason pointed upwards and her heart started to sink.

"In the corner tower. Just take the stairs up to the walkway and head down to you right. The door leads into my office." He crossed his arms and swayed to the right. "Or you could walk down this hallway to the flight of stairs at the far end, that would do just fine."

"Thanks."

"Now…" He stepped to the side and Trina watched a girl moving towards the room. The minute she saw her, an image of an old friend from her childhood flashed before her. This girl had long brown hair, she stood at approximately five feet and six inches, had an olive complexion and shimmering green eyes.

"They had some trouble with her paperwork, I guess because originally she was meant to be put somewhere else but the room assignment changed when she requested you by name. Strange."

The girl smiled brightly at her and started to wave. "Trina! Do you remember me?" She could recall a younger looking version of this girl, with a rounder face but the same confident and dazzling eyes. Unfortunately Trina couldn't put a name to a face.

"I um…it must have been some time."

"Lindsay Peters." Her eyes grew and suddenly she remembered her old friend. Lindsay had been a friend from elementary school, the two had numerous sleepovers and shared so much of their lives-she was ashamed to not have remembered her best friend. The girl moved away to Florida several years ago and they lost touch. a

"Oh my god! Lindsay? How?" She hurried forward to hug her friend, the two girls screamed together and Jason started cringing.

"Yeah okay," He muttered while rubbing his ear, "I'm going to go now. Is there anything else you need?" She shook her head and waved him off. Once he was gone, she pulled back from her friend and examined her with some suspicion.

"How did you even know I was here?"

"Well you know the website where you register?" She ran her thumb across her chin and nodded. There was a place on the site to see the roster and figure out if the seats were all filled up. It was also handy for those that wanted an opportunity to request a roommate. "I saw your name and saw that the room still had an open slot, so I had to run the roommate request."

"It's so good to see you, though." She grabbed Lindsay's bags and pulled them inside. "I'm sorry we lost touch. I was a misguided impression that you didn't want to talk to me anymore." Lindsay pursed her lips and Trina sat on the edge of her bed.

"Whydid you think that?"

"Long story." She folded her fingers over the edge and pressed her nails into the cloth covering. "I just-things really started going downhill for me." Her gaze fell with her heart and she took a slow breath. "Things are still hard."

When Lindsay left, she was one of the last friends Trina had. Tori and her friends thought she didn't like her anymore, so that made Trina suspect they were right.

"By the way." She lifted her head and smiled slightly at her . "I didn't realize you we into martial arts. What belt are you?"

"Purple belt, but I'm close to obtaining brown."

"Oh! I'm brown." Now she could have someone to spar with without feeling nervous about asking Jason. "Thank god, the only other person I know around here is Jason, and that's just cause I ran into him before everything started."

"What happened?"

"Long story involving a dress." Lindsay winced. Her hands fell to her hips and her head shook from left to right.

"That was you? I thought it was some other girl they were talking about."

Trina lifted her hand and pushed herself back on the bed, pressing herself up against the wall. "Guilty as charged." She could deal with the jabs well enough, since she was so used to hearing it from her sister's friends. "But yeah asking Jason to spar? That's…I'd like to, but he's a black belt and it has been a while since I've actually been promoted a color."

"Still you should. I bet he could teach you a lot. He's one of the counselors, right?"

"Yep. He's the group leader directly in charge of the group I'm in too." Remembering that she still needed to make sure Lindsay would know to check, she snapped her fingers and pointed to the girl. "Do you know your group leader?"

"Yeah. Michelle Garland."

"Good." Catching up with Lindsay was going to be fun. There was so much she remembered about the girl, but so much she missed out on. She didn't seem like much, but the girl had always been tough as nails-someone that Trina looked up to.

She guided Trina through a lot of crazy childhood adventures, which usually involved the duo getting covered in mud or other debris that pissed their mothers off. Their mothers were the reason they were friends to begin with, both worked at the hospital together.

Unfortunately Lindsay had to move to live with her grandmother. When they were just fourteen, Lindsay's mother contracted a disease from a patient she'd been working on. When she died, the girl had no more family in California. That day was the first she'd ever seen her friend cry.

But even now, Lindsay seemed to have put it behind her. How true that was, Trina wasn't certain. "How have you been since, you know?" Lindsay's cheery demeanor faded momentarily, then her shoulders rose and fell.

"It's been difficult, but I'll make do." The girl sat beside Trina and ran her hand through her hair with a sigh of exhaustion. "Grandma's not doing too well these days. I'm not sure what's going to happen. Might have to move back to California with my dad, but I'm sure I don't want to do that."

"Why?"

"Same reason I couldn't live with him before." Trina's head tilted as Lindsay swept her fingers over her knees. "Dad was in prison. He's out now, but I don't know if I trust him. It's not like he's in for anything really bad, it was some shoplifting thing, but I don't want to put myself in there just to have him go back to prison."

"He has a record?"

"Real kleptomaniac, yeah." Lindsay slouched and slanted her eyes at the ground. "If grandma's health continues going the way it is, I won't have much choice." The girl's eyes darted over to Trina and she cleared her throat. "Let's not focus on that now, though. We have the rest of the evening to catch up."

Now she was talking. Trina pushed herself from the bed happily and flashed a grin. "Good. I'm sure there's lots to discuss."

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><p>This was a good chapter, I think. Seems Trina's got an issue with heights (oh she sleep talks too, fun chapter coming), I wonder if she'll face that fear.<p> 


	5. Morning Antics and Drama

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Here is a chapter that starts out fun and light and ends with a little bit of drama. Enjoy

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><p>Chapter 5 (Morning Antics)<p>

Trina groaned softly as the sunlight shone through her eyelids. Her body was curled into a ball with her arms around her legs and her back against the wall. "Isn't she cute when she's asleep?" She heard someone say. Trina mumbled an incoherent reply and pulled the covers over her head. "I've been trying to wake her up for the past hour or so."

"That's why I knock on the doors," A masculine voice replied, "To make sure everyone gets up." She groaned again, still trying to cling to the dream she was having of her sister and swimming in the ocean.

"I won't go far, Daddy." She slapped her arm outwards, striking someone in what felt like their nose. "I love swimming. I'm like a fish. Why does mommy not like me swimming in the deep waters?" She heard the female voice respond with an 'aww' while the man replied with a single grunt. She stretched her legs over and flipped onto her other side. "You can't swim Tori, don't follow me into the water it's too dangerous for you."

"It's strange. If I remember right, she didn't have this much trouble waking up in the mornings. Childhood sleepovers, she would always be the first to wake up." There was a pause, and then Lindsay suggested something with a slight triumphant tone. "Mom used to make us the most amazing cinnamon rolls. You don't suppose?"

"Unfortunately I don't think we have any of those here. I'm not surprised though. I'm used to flying out from California, it's not an easy flight. Of course she's tired. Even still, I hate to do it, but we're going to have to drag her out of this bed."

"Well. How much do you value your life?"

"The alternative is dumping cold water on her." Trina wiggled her nose and turned over, smiling wide as Jason's voice brought his image to her. "She talks in her sleep. How nice."

"Falling asleep last night was fun."

"Stop that," Trina moaned, "Stop looking so smug and…" She rolled onto her stomach and balled her fists up beneath her pillow. "Adorable." A giggle escaped her lips. Someone was now frantically rubbing her back, trying to shake her awake to no avail. "No luck with boys."

Jason cleared his throat and let out a heavy sigh. "Katrina Vega. It is at the hour, 6:53. The cafeteria opens in seven minutes and you have an hour before class. I do not recommend skipping breakfast." Trina kicked her legs and rolled onto her back, unable to get comfortable in the bed. "Lindsay. Is she wearing anything under those blankets?"

"I think she had on a purple silk nightgown."

"Silk?" He let out a huff and then the bed started to shake. "Well. As long as it's something."

"Wait. You're not going to-" A powerful force lifted her from the bed. Her arms and legs dangled in the air as two strong arms curled beneath her knees and her back. "Oh wow. I knew Trina was light, but I didn't think someone could just easily pick her up out of bed…"

"You're right about one thing. This girl looks different when she's asleep."

"Soft, right? That's why we girls look so great when we sleep."

"Uh huh. Sure." Trina's lips curled up and her heart thumped heavily in her chest. Her toes curled when they gently touched the door frame leading into the bathroom. "Help me out here, Lindsay. I'd like you to turn on the shower."

"So we were talking last night. The whole dress thing."

"What about?"

"What did you think of her in the _gi_? How did she look?"

"She looked…nice? Come on, I can't turn the shower on and I don't intend to lay her down. Just a little water on the feet should get her moving."

"If you could just hold that stance."

"Lindsay." He growled slightly, then the water turned on. Trina's chest expanded and she arched her back, laughing contently. "Whoa!" Jason caught her before she rolled out of his arms, though it brought him falling onto one knee. He screamed in anguish and his muscles tensed on impact. "Damn it!"

"You alright?"

"I'm good."

"Did you seriously almost drop my best friend?"

"Not _now,"_ he growled. "Jesus, how can someone be such a heavy sleeper! I'm about to put her head first in the water at this rate." Trina sighed as Jason pushed his arms forward and slipped her feet beneath the needlelike shower.

She curled her feet, giggling as a tickling sensation ran through her body. "I think she's waking up," Lindsay stated, "And I'd say you have about five seconds, maybe less, before she tries to put a fist in your face."

Her eyes fluttered open and a soft gasp drifted from her lips. "Wha…" Trina looked around her, seeing the yellow tiles of the floor and feeling the water on her feet. Her eyes moved to the arms holding her and widened as she scaled up the man's body and met Jason's frustrated glare. "J-Jason?"

Jason's forehead was wet with sweat and water from the shower splashing out on him. His jaw was locked in a strong position and she was pressing her body up against his thick chest, partially enjoying the contact with his firm muscles.

He spoke up with a softer tone. His nostrils spread with a simple breath and his eyebrows were like tufts of clouds sliding towards one another. "You are seriously impossible to wake up."

Realizing the situation she was in and trying to keep from getting too angry, she looked away from him and shut her eyes. "Put me down, and get the hell out of our room please."

She let him set her down on a clean spot where she could sit with her back to the wall. It took a second for her to recover from the shock and will herself to stand watch him limp away . Her cheeks were red with blush and her body remained frozen in place. "You handled that rather well." Lindsay stepped beside her and raised an eyebrow. "I expected blood." She did hope his leg would heal up well.

Trina ran her hand over her neck and turned towards the shower. "I would have been angrier if I hadn't already woken up-I woke up when he tripped and hit his knee." Lindsay winced and moved a hand up to her forehead.

"Ouch. That man is a fucking knight, Trina. Sorry though, he was walking down the hall and you weren't getting up." Normally she slept in her underwear only, and sometimes she didn't wear a bra to sleep. This was one of the few times she thought to sleep in her nightgown.

Never before had she been so grateful for that decision.

"I didn't say anything too embarrassing in my sleep, did I? I know I talk in my sleep from time to time…" She didn't actually want to know, because it seemed if she forgot it, then it didn't happen. "On second thought, I think I'll just get ready."

"Good idea." She seemed to remember a discussion about her weight. Perhaps she would have to ask about that . It didn't matter too much to her, she was a lightweight and not surprised at all that Jason had been able to pick her up. Hell, normal BMI range for someone her height was 104 to 141 pounds, and she was right in the middle of that range.

If Jason had difficulty lifting her, she would have been more concerned about that. He looked strong, anyway.

"I _really_ would like to stop looking like a fool in front of him." She curled her fingers at her hairline and dropped her shoulders with a sigh. "It amazes me that man wasn't laughing at me the entire time."

"He really doesn't seem the type to laugh at people." Had it been so long since she'd seen a genuine person that didn't make fun of her that she held people to such an expected standard? She lifted her head at Lindsay's hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's get ready. I mean, I already am, but I'm happy to wait around."

"You don't have to if you don't want."

"I don't mind."

She arrived at class with ten minutes to spare, which she was fortunate about. There had been time to take her morning shower, have breakfast, and take a quick morning jog.

Her _gi _hung loose from her shoulders and her ponytail had wrapped around her neck, with strands of her hair clinging to the pools of sweat that glistened on her body. Her top had an open triangular collar, but the point of the shape ended just short of any cleavage, so she truly wasn't worried.

Trina shuffled in the room and breathed in. The room was a large square area with a giant blue mat resting atop a wooden floor. At the far end was a long desk, and Jason was seated on the edge, talking to two male students and one the girl that teased her yesterday about the dress.

Jason and the others glanced over, his eyes meshed with hers and his lip turned up to a smile. "Nice of you to join us." He folded his arms and rolled his head to the right. Her body grew hot the longer she maintained eye contact with him.

She could sense the gaze of the other boys in the room and scowled as they stared down at her chest. The shirt wasn't form fitting, but as she considered herself '"deto be somewhat well endowed-and never before had that fact annoyed her.

"Eyes to the face," Trina remarked coldly. Their eyes flew up and they turned their heads away, blushing in their embarrassment. Jason shook his head and stood from the desk, wincing when his left foot hit the ground. "You okay, Jason? Your knee?"

"It's fine." His shoulders rose as mountains and his eyes closed for a brief second. "Did you get your breakfast?" He opened his eyes partially and pulled his right hand up from his arms to motion at the others. "I was just telling Jenny, Eric and Travis that since it's the first day, not all of the students will be used to such early hours."

Jenny was a petite girl with short red hair that curled over her ears and feathered out around her chin. She had ruby red lips and sharp blue eyes. "We were trying to convince Jason to be more lenient on the first day or two," Jenny said quickly. The girl's icy stare could be felt from a mile away. She was studying Trina, looking her up and down. "So. No dresses today?"

Trina narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but Jason was quicker to respond. "What did I say yesterday, Jenny?" Jenny crossed her arms and huffed angrily. From her posture and demeanor, she reminded Trina a little of Jade.

"Jason do you honestly think she takes this seriously?" Jenny slapped her hand in the air. Trina stretched her right leg out and crossed her arms. Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed as Jenny started to scowl. "I mean she wore a dress to a camp for martial artists. Is it so disrespectful to-"

"To assume? I saw people coming here in miniskirts, and a couple guys wearing baggy pants. Does someone take an opportunity like this any less seriously because of what they choose to wear."

"I don't get it." Jason rolled his eyes and started to approach Trina. "You used to be harder on dress code standards, why does she get treated any different?"

"I hold everyone to the same standard." He stepped next to Trina and set his hand on her shoulder, then lowered his voice to a a whisper. "Ignore her. Please." Trina straightened herself and raised her eyebrows as Jason shook his head and walked towards the door.

She watched Jenny's approach. Her shoulders were peaked, her lips were twisted into a snarl, her eyes swung like swinging axes, and her heels bore the fires of hell. "I know what you are," Jenny announced coldly, "You think you belong here?" Her heart stopped and a sudden emptiness swept into her as Jenny's glare pierced her own. "You're a diva, you come dressed in high fashion. Designer clothing. Jason's a guy, he doesn't know designer fashion that well. That dress you wore? Who do you think you are, coming here?"

"I think I came to figure that out." She still felt the power of her _gi_, it was always amazing how much confidence a single outfit could bestow. Somehow, she felt better wearing her uniform that she ever felt wearing those high fashion dresses.

Jenny's _gi_ was blue like the sky and her belt was the same color; two belts below her. "I know who you are." Jenny tugged on the ends of her belt and dipped her eyebrows down in the middle. "You're a daddy's little princess, getting whatever you want and buying all the things no one else can afford."

Anger grew in her as an ember and she watched the girl circle her. "Excuse me?" How dare this girl assume she knew her. "Funny, if you knew my dad you wouldn't even come close to saying that."

"You're no martial artist. Brown belt or not." Jenny poked a finger at Trina's chest and she quickly slapped the girl's hand away. Eric and Travis exchanged nervous and uncomfortable looks as Jenny's voice started to rise. "You may have Jason fooled, you may have everyone else fooled, but you're not fooling me. You're a princess, you're a diva, obsessed with being some stuck up rich girl."

"I'm not that." Adrenaline spiked her urge to retaliate, but she held back for fear of getting in trouble over instigating a fight. "You don't know me."

"No?" Jenny took a few steps back and her lips slid into a smirk as her eyes slanted. "Then block this, little miss dress." Trina's eyes widened and she dropped her arms as the girl charged her.

Thinking fast, she leapt to the side and reached out, grabbing Jenny's wrist and forearm as it sailed past her. Trina yelled out and twisted her body around, spinning Jenny with her, then releasing her.

Jenny stumbled forward with a scream and fell to her hands and knees. She looked up in her fury as Eric and Travis laughed.

Trina caught Jason in her peripheral; he was standing with the rest of the class and watching from the door. He made his approach, hands balled and body tense. There was a proudness in his walk, and a look in his eyes that resembled a lion descending upon its subjects.

"Jason!" Jenny lifted her eyes to him and raised her hand, pointing to Trina. "She-" Jason raised a hand to cut her off.

"I was standing right here. I saw what happened." He stood next to Trina and started to smirk while glaring at the girl with a cunning look in his eyes. "If you wanted to spar, then you know the rules. You must announce your invitation, show the opponent with proper respect…You've been here before, you've trained before. You know the rules." He leaned back and looked to the right. "Now." His shoulders fell and a sudden huff shot from his lips. "Get up."

Trina furrowed her brow as Jenny rose to her feet. "I wasn't asking to spar with anyone."

"A little late for that." Jason looked to the rest of the class and crossed his arms. "First day of class I ask for two volunteers to spar together, to show how a match should be properly done. To commence the day's lesson…"

She could see where this was going, and as nice as it would be to wipe the floor with Jenny right now, she didn't want to embarrass the girl any further. "Jason I'd rather not," Trina began, "I don't want to spar her." He smiled at her and Jenny's eyes widened.

"You're respectable, that's good. Crucial. I will respect your decision." Her mouth curved up and he turned to the frustrated girl standing behind him. "Jenny. It appears Katrina has shown your hasty challenge some grace." He looked over his shoulder at the class, using this moment to lecture. "A proper invitation to fight was not given by the challenger. The defender does not have to consider the challenge and can turn down the match. In this case, such an outcome is the desired one."

"And if it were proper?" Eric asked aloud. Trina raised an eyebrow and Jason rolled his hand in the air.

"Then it's a proper and official challenge. It could be met and the opponent being challenged can either accept or deny. In such an instance, acceptance is best unless there is a clear reason for denial." He turned a disappointed gaze onto Jenny and shook his head.

"Martial arts is not about fighting. It is not about offense. It is about defense, respect, honor, integrity, growth. You do not become professed in this art by seeking your own power. You seek this art to defend, to _protect._"

He then turned her back to her and she dropped her head shamefully. Her fists clenched and her body shook with rage. "If you wish to still, you may properly address an invitation to spar."

Trina braced herself and tensed when Jenny's eyes shot out at her. The girl huffed and turned away almost instantly. "I don't want to."

"Then take your place in class. If you cannot show respect and feel that your activity in class today will be compromised, then you may return to your room." Jenny sneered at Trina, causing her to flinch and avert her attention.

Jenny grabbed her bag off the floor and walked to the door. Everyone held their breath and waited until there was a violent scream and loud crash outside. Trina noticed Jason flinch and tense at the sound and for the first time she saw him become unsettled.

"Now that that's over with, we should begin." He moved to the front of class and Trina lined up. With nine students in the room now, they lined up in two single file lines of five. There were at least six feet given between each person. "Where you stand will be where you remain. If you're uncomfortable, discuss it with me after class and we'll arrange a position."

She was second in the line on the left. The line in the right had an empty space in the back-likely where Jenny would be for the next several months _"Did Jade bloody cut and dye her hair or something?" _She exhaled and spread her legs apart, then brought her wrists down to her sides.

"Now." Jason faced the class. His brow was furrowed and his forehead had a single line forming in the middle. His arms spread out he cleared his throat. "With all the morning pleasantries done, and without further ado, welcome to your first day of class!"

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><p>So what are your thoughts? I do hope the first part was somewhat amusing as it was meant. Well, Jason may know through Trina's sleep talk that she considers him to be attractive in some way. How nice. Then what are your thoughts on Jenny, do you suspect she may be trouble? Does there seem to be something more here, and if so, what? I will say that at this point, both Jason and Trina are not actively thinking about relationships with anybody, though that much should be obvious. Some encouragement may have to come from somewhere.<p> 


	6. Another Perspective

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: So here is the first official conversation between Trina and Jason.

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><p>Chapter 6 (Another Perspective)<p>

During lunch, Trina looked around for Lindsay in the cafeteria, but couldn't find her. It was likely Lindsay was back at the room, because the girl said she was getting a headache during breakfast.

The cafeteria looked like a Golden Corral buffet restaurant, with servers handing out the meals from a long wall of booths. She went for the Homestyle line, which today consisted of lemon pepper grilled chicken breast, broccoli trees, and creamy mashed potatoes. She also grabbed a glass of chocolate milk. Currently she was on her third plate.

She didn't like to pick up finger food with her hands, so she cut the chicken from the bone and stabbed it with her fork. When she bit into the bite, she nearly squealed with pleasure as the juices and lemon flavor squirted out on her tongue.

As she chewed and opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of someone standing at her table. Her eyes slid up and met with Jason's and her heart skipped a moment as she observed him. He was leaning against the chair, with his elbow hanging over it.

"You keep going up there for more food, I see." Trina grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and swung it over her mouth. She swallowed her bite and wiped away any evidence of debris from her lips.

"What can I say? I'm a growing girl." Jason chuckled at the joke and turned his head to presumably the table he was at. His food tray had several empty plates stacked together and an empty glass. "I've been athletic most of my life, and that means food is essential."

"Not just food. Protein as well." He pulled the chair back and motioned to it, as if to ask if anyone were sitting there. Trina smiled politely and he took a seat. "How are you holding up? I know class didn't start out as well as it could have." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I am sorry about Jenny."

"Don't apologize. It's not my first run in with girls like that." Jason smiled at her but said nothing for what seemed the longest time. She wrapped her hand around her glass of milk and furrowed her brow at him. "What is it?"

"You're a tough woman. I can see that."

She released the glass and laughed at him before bringing her hand up to her chest. "Me? Tough?" There was no way she was tough. She'd been downed a lot, sure, but how did that make her tough? Letting people walk over her wasn't exactly a sign of strength.

"Not many people can hold their own around someone like Jenny the way you did."

"Oh. Well, she reminds me of one of my sister's friends, to be honest. Less . pale faced than the girl, but just as mean." He slid his hand over his neck and leaned back. He pulled his hand back as he sighed.

"Didn't know you had to deal with someone like that." She took another stab at her food and shrugged. There wasn't much about her life she wanted to share, not when it came to her sister's friends. "Your name. It's familiar to me."

"Oh?"

"You wouldn't happen to go to Hollywood Arts, would you? My uncle teaches there. I've never been, but he's always got a ton of stories." She chewed her next bite slowly, pondering what Jason could know. After all, Tori and her friends were among Sikowitz's favorite students-primarily because they were the ones that always stuck around and took him up on class activities and discussions.

"My sister goes. I went there, but this was my final year." She swallowed the bite, then took a drink of her milk. "I'm a graduating senior. I was thinking about attending the University of California in Los Angeles."

"You should. It's a good university."

"You attend?"

"Attended. I turned 19 this year and as a present, Dr. Wyatt got me signed up to attend the California Martial Arts Academy." Her eyebrows pushed up and her lips fell open. She was impressed-the academy was a prestigious one.

It was near Los Angeles as well, and of course, she wouldn't mind being accepted into such a prestigious academy. "Wow. I'd love to go there, actually."

"They take some of the top students, and of course, recommendations from people like Dr. Wyatt is extremely crucial." He scratched his chin and glanced down at her plate. "Vega, huh? Your sister wouldn't happen to be that Victoria girl my uncle has mentioned?"

She rolled her eyes and listened to the clink of her fork against the plate. "So you have heard of her?" He whisked his hand from his chin.

"Only through Uncle Erwin. He talks about this group of kids all the time."

"Tori's friends. You've probably heard about Jade then."

"Ah yes. Crazy but not quite as psychotic as our dear friend Jenny." He flashed a subtle smirk and Trina failed an attempt to stifle a laugh. He leaned over his hands on the table and stared down at them. His forehead tensed and his shoulders rose. "I am sorry about her. If you are uncomfortable, I can have her moved to another team, I usually keep the same team members each year, but-"

"I'm fine. Really. I don't want any special treatment." A glimmer of admiration shone in his eyes. He smiled at her and nodded once.

"Good, because I'm not one for special treatment." Her heart skipped another note and she studied the image of her reflection in his eyes. Her breath stilled momentarily. It was like he were seeing _her_, whoever she was. Perhaps this tough person that he accused her of being. "I won't lie, they are right; I am tough on people."

"Do people normally get as upset as Jenny?" Thin lines stretched out from his firm lips, and for a moment Trina began to fear she may have struck a harsh chord with him. "I-I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"

"No. She is, let's just say she and I have known each other in the past." She glanced down at the plate and the air around them seemed to tense-making it difficult for her to say much of anything else. "We dated." He reclined and moved his elbow over the top of the chair, sighing heavily. "It was about five years ago."

"Tough topic?" She didn't want to touch on anything that he wasn't willing to talk about. It wasn't hard to understand, considering her own thoughts. "I don't mean to bring up anything."

"You're alright. It ended badly, you can imagine. Have you ever met those girls not happy to be dumped?" She winced. As a thought, it made sense that she seemed angry. Not to mention, she seemed also like one of those people that couldn't accept it, with how she reacted when Jason defended her.

She knew that girl had to have been pissed about something more than just being scolded for being a bitch to a new student. "Five years and she's not accepted it yet?"

"No." He waved his hand in the air and leaned to the right. "She pops up here every year and wedges her way onto my team. Being the nice guy, I let her stay in my group. It's a hassle for other group leaders, so I opt not to stress them out."

"More stress on you, I imagine." He raised his eyebrows and chuckled once. "She's not in California, then? You're from California, right?"

"Texas, originally. Mom moved to Texas, met my father there, and stuck around. We moved back to California a couple years ago to be closer to Uncle Erwin." He pointed down at her plate and she glanced to see her mashed potatoes scraped all across her plate. She'd been idly spinning her fork in the potatoes without realizing it. "You were planning on eating those, right?"

"Um, yeah. I just…" She scooped up a bit and moved it up to her mouth. She hoped if she could ignore it, then it would be forgotten. He smirked at he and shook his head.

"So I've been curious, Trina. If I am to believe the stories from my Uncle, which he relays from your sister…you are a bit of a drama queen. Certainly not a person I would think to have an interest in a place like this."

"Well it's a bit difficult to explain. I'd like not to go too into that part of my life, but-"

"Here, you don't seem that way." She relaxed herself and reclined. His words were oddly comforting to her soul. "The way he tells it, you're more out of control than you seem here. Here, you're calmer than he describes."

"Well thank you." She took another bite of her meal and shrugged at him. To hear somebody say such a thing about her was a strange relief. "I'm not used to compliments." He leaned back slowly and brought his eyebrows together.

"Could I ask why?" Trina let out a heavy sigh and carefully set her fork on the plate. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No, you told me something about yourself-" Which was a surprise in itself because Jason did not seem like the type of person to talk about his personal life. Maybe it was due to what happened in the class, but she appreciated it. "I told you I dealt with rude and intolerant people. Tori's friends aren't a source of any problem, but…they're part of it. They're insulting, they're cruel, they're harsh. Because I act like a diva."

"Why do you act like a diva? If you're not one?"

"I don't know." She scratched her hair and felt her pulse rate increasing slightly. "Sometimes I feel like I have to be. My parents don't pay attention to Tori and myself, Tori's time is spent with her friends, and her friends ignore me most of the time."

"So. You feel like you have to be a diva and act out to get notice?" She never heard it put so simply, but it made sense to her. She mimicked his posture by hanging her arm over the chair. Her left leg crossed over her right and she turned to look at the food line.

"I have no talent. I'm not anybody important. I'm a nobody. Tori sung one song at that school and suddenly everyone notices her." She brought her hand up to her chest and looked back to Jason. He wasn't saying anything, but he looked so earnest and serious, concentrating on her every word.

She shifted in her seat, trying to get into a more comfortable position. "So I try. I tried to act, I tried to sing, but it always backfires. Robbie lied to me and made a god awful one act play out to be a comedy…" Trina pulled her arm away from the chair and leaned forward, folding her hands over the table.

"Granted I flipped out on him for it, I was stupid for it because he was right. That play was the worst shit I've ever thought to be involved in." She lifted her hand up to her face, covering half of her face with her fingers. "Talentless, worthless hack who doesn't know her place in the world. That's something one of my sister's friend said about me, and you know what?"

"What?"

"They're right."

He bent his hands upward and set his chin on his closed hands. "Maybe. Maybe not." She tilted her head a bit, watching him closely. He was breathing slow and easily, with his chest expanding once every three seconds. "Maybe you don't have the talent for singing or acting, but that doesn't mean you don't have talent."

"It means I can't go that route."

"I mean, is that what you want?" He dropped a hand to the table and leaned his back against the chair. "The way you dodged Jenny when she charged at you, and don't think I didn't notice how fluid your movements were in the formations we were practicing in class." The blood rushed to her cheeks and she smiled at him.

It was hard remembering some of the old formations that she hadn't practiced, but she always tried to keep at her best. "Fluid motions?"

"The way you went from throwing a punch, to pulling your arm back and twisting around to deliver a kick…It was like watching a dance." He looked up to the clock on the wall. She twisted around to see what he was, and of course, it was getting time for the cafeteria to close.

Jason stood from the table and grabbed his empty tray from the other table. She crinkled her nose at him and stared down at her plate. After a moment, she felt his hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention to him.

The strength in his gaze held her, pulling her to him and melting her heart. "You have talent somewhere." Jason's words were soft and inspiring to hear against her own doubts. "You didn't get to having a brown belt by sheer luck, you have the skill and you have the talent. You just need to see that."

How would she see what she was unsure of? Even still, she was proud of herself for having been so in control earlier. "Do you have to go, Jason?" She looked back at her empty plate and held her breath as his hand moved away from her, leaving only a warmth to linger.

"I do have to help set up the group activities after all. They aren't going to plan themselves." He flashed a smirk and she chuckled at him. "See you later."

"You too." She turned to watch him leave. Her left hand moved up and cupped the spot on his right shoulder that he touched. She closed her eyes and breathed out with a long, wistful breath. "I wonder if he ever stops working."

Her eyes slid open partially and she dropped her hand to the tray. She remembered that she'd been waiting on Lindsay to show up, but the girl never did. "I should get back to the room and check on her…see if her headache's gone down."

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><p>A good first discussion, well what are your thoughts? There are a lot of small things mentioned throughout that provide great insight on both their lives, wouldn't you agree? What stood out to you? What caught your attention and stands out to you?<p> 


	7. Which Label is True?

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I do hope the thought that this could be a romance isn't turning potential readers away, there is still a lot happening. It is about personal growth, not romance

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><p>Chapter 7 (Which Label is True)<p>

"Lindsay?" Trina put her hand to the doorknob and set her left hand on the frame, listening to the sound coming from inside. It was very subtle, but she could hear somebody sobbing. It came upon her heavily and she pushed the door open slowly.

Lindsay was laying sideways on her bed with a tissue firmly clutched to her chest. Tears had left streaks on the girl's face and her nose was as red as her puffy eyes. "Trina, I..." She pushed herself up and blew her nose into the tissue. "Sorry I didn't show up for lunch."

"Its fine, I'm not upset about that." She'd never seen Lindsay this messed up since the day her mother died. Even then, Lindsay was the strong one-she was the rock.

Trina sat down next to Lindsay and moved her hand to Lindsay's knee. "What's the matter?" One thing was certain: Lindsay was still the same hard-pressed and tough girl she knew from before, so if she were upset about something, it was serious. "If there's anything I remember about you, you're tough. You don't get like this unless there's something really serious."

Maybe there was something more to Lindsay actively seeking to be rooming with an old friend. Plus, with her grandmother's health failing, it didn't make sense for Lindsay to up and leave for a camp.

As the realization dawned on her, she moved her hand up over her mouth and felt her breath latch itself in the back of her throat. "I lied to you-that's not what's upsetting me. Saying it makes it real, that's the problem." Lindsay's hand dropped to her lap and she moved her head to Trina's shoulder. "You know my eighteenth birthday is coming up, right?"

"Yeah. In May."

"I'll be a legal adult then. I can move to California, go to the university there. If I can get a job and afford it." She rubbed Lindsay's back and turned her eyes to the window. Her stomach tightened as a great sorrow struck her heart. "My grandma. I said her health was failing. It's already done its damage-she died last month."

Trina hugged her friend and closed her eyes. "Lindsay. I'm sorry." She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "You don't want to stay with your dad? I know It'you said things are tense…"

"He's a criminal, Trina." Last night, Lindsay said her dad was trying to get better and had his compulsive urges under control. "Yeah he's getting help for kleptomania, but he's a criminal. We haven't gotten along at all since the last time we spoke, and that was when he went to prison last."

"So the reason you wanted to come on this trip was so you could ride through your eighteenth?"

"Yes." Lindsay grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes. "Then I saw you were here and-I had to be near someone familiar." The girl sniffed once and tensed. Lindsay's gaze fell on the floor and her hand clenched around the tissue. "I'm losing everyone I ever cared about. My mom, my grandma, and I…I can't take any more losses. I can't do this anymore." The knots in her stomach grew worse as a more sinister and depressing feeling overtook her.

"It's going to be okay, Linds…"

"No. No it's not." Lindsay tossed the used tissue into the wastebucket and shook her head. "You know my favorite aunt died a year ago." Trina furrowed her brow and glanced at the black wristbands around Lindsay's wrist. "She took her life when she lost Uncle Tim to the car accident. Mom's sister."

Trina started to reach for the wristband, and time seemed to slow as she did so. Her heart was beating heavily and her eyes focused on the star that was in the middle of the band.

Suddenly Lindsay's hand blocked her fingers and she pulled away. "Lindsay?" She breathed out as her friend glanced into her eyes. "No…" The girl's body began to tremble and she fell into Trina's chest. Trina hugged her tight and closed her eyes, letting the tears welling up in her eyes flow. Her heart began to crumble as everything that surrounded them faded from existence. "How long?"

Lindsay's answer was muffled by Trina's uniform and her sobs, but she could just make out that it had been around a month. She felt a presence nearby, but when she looked to the doorway, there was no one there.

Lindsay lifted her head and frowned at the moist spots on Trina's uniform. "I can't." She gasped out and saliva seemed to pop from her mouth. "I can't be the strong one anymore."

Trina frowned as her memories of Lindsay spun around her mind like a tornado, each tearing apart with each tremble in the girl's voice.

_ "Just one more!" Lindsay called to Trina. Trina was standing on the center rock in the middle of a rushing river that headed straight for a waterfall. They'd gone off to a high end of the town park where their mothers forbade them from exploring. "Make the jump."_

_ Her foot shook over the water while her eyes studied the rock in between her and the shore. "I might die." Lindsay was on the rock, holding her hand out. If they fell into the water, the current would sweep them to the waterfall. _

_ "Come on Trina, it'll be fine. Run and jump!"_

_ She took a deep breath and reached out for Lindsay's hand, then ran for her friend. Just as she neared the edge, her foot slipped and she started headfirst for the water. Her pupils dilated and she began to scream. _

_ A strong hand grabbed hers and pulled her up. When she recovered, she found herself in her friend's arms. "Told you it would be okay."_

As the memory faded, Trina pulled her friend into a tighter embrace. She didn't know how to be the strong one, but she would try. She wasn't going to judge her, nor was she going to try to tell her what to do, but she would be there for her.

"I'm here for you Lindsay. I'm here."

"We're going to be late to the first group assignments, Trina. They're going to be mad."

"It'll be okay." She would try to explain the tardiness to Jason, though it would be difficult. Hopefully he would understand the little bit of information she could give; she had to support Lindsay with something.

She stood from bed and walked into the restroom to grab a rag from the basket on the counter beside the sink. After wetting it under the faucet, she returned to Lindsay and the girl let her wipe away the stains on her cheeks.

"We'll get ready and head on over. I'll tell Jason we had to talk." Lindsay nodded and peered down at her left wrist. The girl's right hand was gripping it so tightly that her knuckles lost their color. "He and I had a fairly decent talk today during lunch."

"What happened?"

"Some girl in our group tried to attack me today."

"What?" Lindsay's voice started to rise and her eyebrows pressed down in the center of her forehead. "Who was she? I'll-"

"Let me worry about that." Lindsay smiled and hugged Trina's waist. Trina held her close and gently rubbed her back, waiting as the tremors in her friend's body slowly faded. "It's great seeing you again, Lindsay. I really missed you over the years."

"I missed you too." The girl pulled away and sniffled. "Let's go. I don't want to get into any further trouble."

The groups were meeting in the center of the courtyard, not yet having divided up into separate factions, but one of the counselors was explaining what was about to happen. Trina and Lindsay moved to the crowd of people. "I wonder what today's activity is going to be." Trina squeezed her friend's hand and looked around for Jason. When she saw him, he was standing off to the side a bit, leaning up against a tree. "I see Jason."

Lindsay followed her glance. "Do you think he's going to be mad that we are late?"

"I don't know." She returned her attention to the counselor in front of the group. He was saying they would leave the compound and go to the field out back where the ten groups would be divided into one on one teams playing a game of flag football.

"So it's a camp-wide activity." She was pleased with the activity as well, because this was a good time to show her athletic prowess. "I can run, so it'll be a good chance to show that I'm not just a girl that likes to dress nice once in a while."

She preferred regular football as opposed to flag football, and even then, rugby was more her style. "Have you ever played in any sports?" Lindsay inquired. "At least, since I moved-and sports aside from martial arts."

"Other than being on the cross-country team, not professionally or on any high school sports teams." She did play before, since the athletes at the school were just about the only people who gave her the time of day. "I get along with the athletes at school, mainly the people from Sherwood that knew us before I started going to Hollywood Arts."

Lindsay put her hands to her waist and lifted an eyebrow at her. "Why did you ever go there, anyway?" She attended Hollywood Arts part time because of their martial arts teacher-but once Tori started going, she started attending at a more full time basis. "If I remember right, we used to joke about the students there."

While students at Hollywood Arts claimed Northridge students were stuck up snobs, the students that Hollywood Arts thought they were better than everyone else because they were 'musically talented'.

"Even my sister's friends say I'm not talented because I can't sing or act as well as them."

"And you believe that?"

"I don't know anymore." She looked back to Jason and thought on what he told her. She barely knew him, but when he said she had talent somewhere, it meant more to her than anything Tori's friends ever said to her. "Jason and I were talking about it earlier, he says I might have some talent, just not as a singer or an actor."

"You're an athlete, Trina, not a singer. Not an actor. An athlete."

Trina laughed once and pulled her gaze away from Jason. "Is it that simple?" Lindsay glanced at her wrist and slowly moved her hand over the band.

"I don't know if anything is ever easy, Trina."

She heard a shuffling noise and turned her head to see Jenny approaching. Her stomach sank and she mentally braced herself from an onslaught from this woman. Part of her thought Jenny was being jealous, much like Jade was whenever Beck went around other girls.

The only problems Jenny had was that Jason's relationship with her ended a long time ago, and Trina didn't find herself to be a threat. It wasn't as if she were dating the man, or even contemplating such a thing.

"What do you want, Jenny?"

"I'm just wondering." Jenny crossed her arms and turned her smile up into a smug looking grin. "Well you showed up late, so I guess it's just not that important to you, and then I have to let you know…you may end up breaking a nail."

` She closed her lips and turned away, choosing to ignore the girl the best she could. Her blood began to boil as anger started to rise from within. Lindsay turned around and sneered at the girl. "Hold up, this is Jenny?" Jenny glanced at Lindsay and raised a brow. "This is the bitch that went attacked you this morning?"

"Lindsay, leave it alone please." In her experience, it was better to ignore people that only wanted to start something.

Lindsay raised her voice and stepped towards Jenny. "No. If you're not going to stick up for yourself, someone has to." She started to poke Jenny in the chest, and the girl's response was to wipe her shirt as if she got dirt on it. "No one talks down to my friend."

Jenny's fingertips graced her chest and she gasped as though she were in shock that someone would accuse her of doing something heartless. "I'm not talking down." She turned her eyes to Trina and smirked. "I am just trying to get her to see that someone as prissy as her has no business being here."

"No. A bitch like _you_ has no business being here." Jenny stepped back and Lindsay started growling venomously. Trina saw Jason turning to see what the commotion was and she reached out to Lindsay, not wanting the girl to get in trouble for starting a fight. "How dare you talk to her like some sort of-"

Trina did agree with Lindsay; Jenny had no real business being here. All the girl wanted was Jason's attention, and he didn't seem to be biting. "Lindsay seriously, don't start a fight out of class." Jason was walking over now, but the girls didn't notice him.

"No, I will not back down while she treats you like shit." The right side of Jenny's upper lift bounced up as the sides of her nose folded and her eyebrows sank in the middle. "You don't know Trina. I know her, or I knew her."

"Oh I don't?" Jenny scoffed and pointed at the girl. "She's a poser." Trina's anger was reaching a level that it hadn't been in some time, and some people nearby were beginning to take notice as Jenny's voice rose into the air. "She's a fake, a fraud. She parades around like a queen, demanding everyone pays attention to her-she's a diva and has no business being at a camp for people like us."

"People like you? Athletes treat her with respect." Lindsay leaned forward and pointed at Trina. Jason stopped behind the girls and crossed is arms, raising an eyebrow while Trina gave him an apologetic look. "This girl is an athlete-even when we were in seventh grade we would play soccer in the back of the school or go rock climbing at the park. I remember that about her, about my best friend."

"Rock climbing?" Jason put arms behind his back and raised himself up on his toes for a second. Jenny gasped and spun around as Lindsay froze. He looked past them and at Trina. His eyebrows were arched high and his lips were curling into a broad smile. "That is a surprise."

Her cheeks burned bright red and she cleared her throat. "It was mostly Lindsay leading me into situations like that. I just got better at outdoor activity because I had to be if I was going to be spending time with her."

"So you're an athlete, then?"

"Well…I don't know. I play a lot of sports with some old friends from an old school, but other than that I'm no longer on any high school teams other than my martial arts class."

The truth of the matter was, before attending fully at Hollywood Arts, she spent a lot of time with other athletes at Sherwood. Some of the football players, some women on the basketball team, and other sports involved, she would practice with them when they weren't at an official practice session for an upcoming game.

"It was mainly just street play. Like I said, I'm no longer on cross-country or any high school teams."

"You did mention graduating earlier." She was astounded that he remembered such a small detail in their conversation. Trina smiled back at him and kept her eyes on the man as he turned to Jenny and Lindsay. "Now. I think the two of you need to calm down. I only see one person here that is trying to draw attention to herself, Jenny." He put emphasis on her name and she threw her hand to her chest while gasping loudly.

"I'm only trying to point out-"

"You've done enough, and we're already getting a late start on the group activity as it is." Jenny threw her hands into the air and walked away, leaving a trail of anger behind her. Trina felt a note of pleasure pulling at her heart and moved her hand up to cover a smile while watching the girl.

She closed her eyes and draped an arm around Lindsay's shoulders, calming the girl. Jason turned towards them and looked from Trina towards Lindsay. There was a knowing look in his eyes, mixed with a note of understanding and compassion. "Now is everything okay, you two?"

"Yeah." Trina started to reach forward as a gesture. "Jason, about our tardiness-" He brought up his hand and Trina lowered her arm. She breathed out slowly and smiled as he responded with a respectful nod.

"Don't worry about it. Just don't make a habit of it, okay?"

"We won't." Her mind drifted back to the sound she heard while consoling Lindsay earlier and she wondered if Jason had stopped by because they were late. If so, he would have seen Lindsay upset about something and opted not to interrupt.

Her heart started to pound as she thought on this action of his, and this time she couldn't hide the pleased smile. His eyes moved to her lips and she caught a flicker of a smile on his own

She heard Jenny call out from nearby, screaming at Jason for not scolding her. Her smile faded away and Jason rolled his eyes.

"Jason?" She took a slow step forward and glanced at the rest of her own classmates. "I'm looking forward to playing some flag football. I'd _like_ for it to be regular football or even rugby." His lips separated and his eyes lit up with surprise.

"Rugby? Really? Next thing I know, you'll say you like boxing."

"Oh I do." She liked real wrestling, but the fabricated stuff was entertaining regardless. She watched a lot of boxing with David when he was taking a break from all his work. "I watch with Dad from time to time, but that's another thing entirely."

"I…see." He ran his hand over his neck and let out an impressed chuckle. "What was your question?"

"I want to be running back, or even quarterback. I figure you'll have people volunteer for positions, so I'm requesting up front what I want." What she _wanted_ to do was wipe the smugness off the faces of the people at this camp and earn a little bit of respect from her classmates.

He rolled his head against his hand, then pulled it away with a sigh. "If you're certain about that, I will let it happen. We're late enough for this game as it is." He turned away and walked towards the group, then stopped partway and turned back to her with a smirk. "If you and your friend say you're athletic, I believe it. You don't need to prove anything to anybody."

"I need to do it." For herself, she wanted this. Lindsay labeled her an 'athlete', Jenny labeled her a 'diva', but she didn't know what she labeled herself as. She never focused on the things she enjoyed, and this was the type of activity she enjoyed. "If people judge me a little less because of it, that's fine. I want to do this for myself."

"Respectable." He turned back and cleared his throat before raising his voice to speak out to the rest of the campers in wait. "There is nothing more to see here, nothing more to say. Let's move out!" He hesitated and turned to speak to Trina, lowering his voice for her. "You want me to send Jenny back to her room? Her view of you isn't going to change because of a game…"

"Let her play. It's not like she can tackle me if she's on my team, but if she does, is it okay to let her know how much I love wrestling?" Jason shook his head with laughter, then continued to address the campers.

This was going to be a fun couple of hours.

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><p>Well, I'd say Jason's definitely impressed with her. A lot happened here in this chapter. We saw a vulnerable side to Lindsay, we've learned a little more about Trina-though there's still quite a bit to come. Tell me your thoughts of this, and I hope you've enjoyed<p> 


	8. The Athlete Comes Out

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 8 (The Athlete Comes Out)<p>

It was easier without the tackles; too easy. Jason's group was up against group leader Kent Abraham. Lindsay was on his team, but that didn't make a difference to the competitive streak within Trina.

Her team, as well as the other, underestimated her agility. The score was now fifty-eight to fifty-six, with Jason's team in the lead. When she made her first touchdown, out running their fastest runner and keeping them from ripping her flag from her waist, her team began passing her the ball more frequently.

Playing brought back many memories of playing with the Sherwood athletes. Like all those time before, she was covered in dirt and sweat, breathing heavily, and studying each person on the opposing team with careful eyes.

The game was over if she could make one more touchdown. It would up their score to sixty, and with the time running out, it would be the winning ball. Kent's team knew this, and as she crouched with her dirt covered hands on her smudged knees, she could see them all watching her.

"It's going to be tough," said the guy beside her. This was Travis, one of the two guys that were hanging with Jason this morning. "We're going to make like we're passing to Jenny, that'll focus their attention on her so we can pass to you."

"Whatever you do, get that ball to someone who can cross that line. If they take me out, keep pushing."

Trina slid her hands across her pants to wipe away the clamminess. Her tongue swept across her lips and her eyes drifted to the two group leaders standing off to the side. Jason was watching her as well and had a huge, proud grin on his face.

He and Kent had been competing the entire time, and going on about their 'star' players. She couldn't count the number of times she heard her name. Just hearing him saying she was one of the better players boosted her.

"More than a girl in a fancy dress." Jason already saw that, or she thought the man had. Now her group, and maybe the other group would as well. "Let's see what they think of me now."

Somebody sounded off and began running with the ball, so thinking fast, Trina pulled back as everyone rushed forward. She eyed an opening, then ran to the right as her teammates tried to block the other team from getting her.

She ran in the path of a sickle around the players, then with an aggressive huff, she flew towards the goal side. Her eyes connected with Eric, the man with the ball, then flew to the opposing team behind her. Some of the members had disconnected from the fray and were almost upon her.

"Eric!" She waved her hands in the air as the man faked a pass to Jenny, which succeeded in directing some of the team towards her. The girl laughed and cut a path across the field in order to perplex those chasing her. "I'm open!"

A grin spread across Eric's face and he tossed her the ball just as one of the opposing team members grabbed his flag from his waist. Trina jumped up into the air, stretching her arms out for the ball.

The ball sank into her hands as if it had been a homing missile directed to her. She twisted her body and pulled her arms down to cradle the ball like a baby. "Get her!" Kent cried out in terror. "She's got the ball! Trina got the ball!"

Trina landed on her feet and looked up with wide eyes. The opposing team was rushing after her like the tidal wave of an angry ocean. Her mind flashed back to the athletes of the Sherwood football team rushing after her, and their quarterback telling her to run as fast as she could.

Jason put his hands to the sides of his mouth and called out to her. "Don't just stand there!" She started to smirk and wagged her eyebrows at the team, daring them. Just as they grew near, she spun around and took off like a bullet shot from a gun. "Run!" Jason pumped a fist in the air, cheering her on.

She could feel the heat of her blood pulsating through her veins, spreading adrenaline to every corner of her body.

To her left, Jenny rushed past her and stretched her arms out, taking two flags from the opposing teammates. Lindsay emerged from behind and tore one from Jenny's waist.

"I hate flag football." Trina rolled her eyes and kept running, only turning her head to look at Jason as she passed. "Jason, next time, make it real football. Hell, make it rugby."

He smirked and called back at her. "You want a real sport?" His eyelids fell halfway and his smirk deepened, causing her heart to skip a note. "Make the winning score, then we'll see."

"You should know better than to challenge a lady, Jason. A lady doesn't lose."

She leapt to the side, avoiding a swipe from an opposing team member. "Can't touch this," she joked upon quoting a lyric from M.C. Hammer. She was certain that Jason laughed, but could have been mistaken.

When she glanced back, she saw Lindsay quick on her heels. "Better run faster, Trina. Don't underestimate me." She grinned and picked up her pace, jogging as fast as she could.

While she had gotten several of the touchdowns-which with these camp rules, replenishes those taken out by the removals of flags-Lindsay was the one taking out the most people.

Now, if they could stop her, they would have a chance to use remaining time to run for a tie and kick to gain an extra point.

_"I wonder if they'll do karaoke sometime? Then again, I probably wouldn't sing…"_ It was an odd moment to think about such a thing, but she knew the winners were going to want to celebrate somehow.

The closer she got, the more her body started to tire. It was usual for her to be so active for such a long period of time. Her muscles were going to burn like hell when this was over, but she had to keep pushing.

Within a short period of time she was across to the end, and the only indication she had that her team emerged victorious was the cheering done by Jason and the members of her group.

She spun around and pushed her chest out proudly while lifting the ball up into the air. Adrenaline rushed from her with the loud breath of air from her lungs. "We're victorious!" Her proclamation rang out and she smirked at the others. In a moment of pure excitement, she threw the ball down to the ground and laughed as her group rushed to her and lifted her up.

Even Lindsay got caught up in the excitement, and her group members were smiling too. It was a fun game, and no matter how competitive it had been, all that mattered in the end was that everyone had a good time.

Their celebration led to the cafeteria for dinner. Many people were already there, but there were some tables that they were able to push together. Trina was the last to get her food, so while she was in the line, she observed everyone.

For eleven people, two square tables had been pushed together and an extra chair had been pulled up. Now that she had a moment to breathe, she took in her classmates more fully.

She imagined a birds-eye perspective where the table looked like a group of people at a feast. The east and west sides were the ends of the table, both had a chair. This left the north side with five chairs and the south with four. The men she recognized from earlier, Eric was at the east end and Travis was at the seat on the north side-closest to him. Jenny had taken the chair on the west end-a surprise considering Trina suspected the girl would have tried to sit close to Jason; he was seated beside Travis.

Aside from those three classmates, Jason and herself, there were three more guys and two girls. Margot and Ramona were sitting on both sides of Jenny. The remaining three guys: Nick, Paul and Jacob, were on the south side. There was one empty chair-to the right of Jason.

It made her a little nervous to sit there, despite the part of her that wanted to gravitate towards him anyway. She didn't know whether or not Jenny would react, but then, even Jason said her opinion shouldn't matter.

Trina carried her tray to the table and took her seat. "That was a great game," she announced. The other's murmured their agreements, and Trina noticed something she wasn't used to.

Most of the guys were peering at her, and when they noticed her looking, they'd look away as if they didn't want her to know. Jason was one of the few _not_ doing this, which threw her for a loop. He seemed to be more focused on eating his food than staring at her. She still respected that about him, though.

"You surprised us," Travis remarked. He reached over Jason's head, offering up a high five. She happily returned the gesture, feeling a proudness swelling in her heart. "You can run." He turned to Jason and nudged the man in the ribs. "She's got a lot of endurance, man." He coughed once and glanced at Travis with an arched eyebrow.

"I'm sure she can last in a match." Jason grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. Trina smiled as he turned to her. "I would very much like to see you spar. Have you sparred anybody lately?"

"It's been a while, actually." She poked her food with her fork and brought it up to her lips. She practiced in her class, but never volunteered or was asked to spar. "The last thing I did was take out my sister's guy friends. Andre, Beck and Robbie."

Eric coughed out and Trina glanced at the boy. "You took three guys on your own?" His voice was strained and his hand was patting his chest.

"Yeah." She wasn't proud of it, nor did she want to brag. She'd just finished surgery, was high on medication, and very emotionally charged. During that time, mentally she was defending herself. "It was a strange situation, I'd like not to talk too much on that."

"Fair enough." Eric motioned at her outfit and started to laugh. "I mean look at you, covered with dirt and all. Nowhere near as prissy as everyone thought."

"You know." Travis put his arm around Jason's shoulders and smirked at Trina. "This guy here never thought you were all that prissy." Trina's face turned red and Jason shrugged.

"I figure it's best not to judge a book by it's cover." Jason leaned back slowly and turned to look at her. "Sometimes to get to know a book, you just have to take an interest and read it." Her eyes slid into hers and she felt a sudden heat take over her, melting her on the spot.

Travis spoke above them, catching everyone's attention. "Group discussion time. Some of you know Jason, Eric and I go back a ways." Jason's eyebrow rose and Trina leaned forward to get a better look at Travis. "Jason and I were discussing something earlier. He's not a believer. I want to know what you all think-starting with you, Trina."

She pursed her lips and Jason moved a hand up over his face. When she saw the gesture, she was a little concerned, but she was interested. "What's the question?" It was a sign they saw something in them, giving her hope that they held a newfound respect.

"You believe in attraction, right? What about love at first sight? Believe in it?"

She jerked back and her eyes widened for a second. "W-What does that have to do with anything?" Her head shook and she stumbled over her words. This wasn't a question she ever thought about, so no, she wasn't a huge believer in it. "People are attractive, but I've never personally fallen in love at first sight."

About half of the group started to murmur, agreeing with her. Jason lowered his hand and she caught a flicker of a smile on his face. "It would be nice," he said, "But no, I haven't thought of it either. You meet someone, there's an attraction, you get to know that person, and if you end up dating or something like that-good for you."

It was along the lines of how she felt, but she's never been so lucky. She often wished that opportunity would have shown itself in her life, but at this point she was beginning to think it was something that wasn't for her anymore.

"Most guys wouldn't give me the time of day," She whispered. Jason's brow furrowed and Travis shook his head. "I'm just not an interesting enough person I guess. People don't give me a chance to show them anything about me."

"That's why you said what you did before?" Her heart stopped and she started to close her hand. He was talking about her statement regarding people not noticing her, and about how she couldn't see anything in herself. She dropped her shoulders and Jason looked back at Tyler. "I've never been 'in love', so I wouldn't know." He glanced at the others and his eyes closed halfway. "What about all of you?"

"It is a bit of a personal question," Eric admitted, "And a rough topic. Love at first sight, I don't know. It's nice to believe in, but I think I agree with them. All the journey and the hard work that goes into a relationship, you can't just rush into it."

The next person to speak up was Jenny. Trina was wondering when she would throw in her piece, so when she finally spoke, she was expecting something cynical. "It's kind of hard to fall in love if you don't date." She had a point, but sometimes it didn't seem like dating was for everyone.

At least for her, it may not be in the cards. It was difficult to do something that you had little faith in. "I guess when you don't meet the right people and you get rejected so many times, it shakes your faith a bit." Trina responded calmly and with a shrug. Jenny scrunched her face and Jason nodded once.

"What about soul mates?" Jenny leaned forward and her fingers tapped furiously on the table. "You believe in those?"

"I think there's someone out there for everyone. I don't know about soul mates or anything like that, but I think there's someone out there for everybody and that someone can be with someone long enough given the right amount of effort and care."

"I still don't see how this applies to anything." Jason scratched behind his ear and grunted once. "Let's discuss something else." Travis shot him a disappointed look, but even Trina was confused as to why the guy would have brought anything up at all.

"Well." She pat Jason's shoulder and his eyes darted to the corners, studying her carefully. She also felt a glare from Jenny, which she was certain was the girl's unnecessary jealousy once again. So with a sigh, she ignored the glare and raised her eyebrows at Jason. "We could all talk about how _awesome_ that game was, but how much we need to get together and play some real sports."

Jason let out a laugh and the others agreed. Trina held her hand to Jason's shoulder for several seconds, feeling the muscles that formed there. It was like a suit of armor, perfectly molded and firm.

When his eyes dropped to her hand, then slowly returned to her eyes, her breath stalled in her throat and she became unable to speak for a brief moment. She removed her hand and prayed no one noticed the pause. Their eyes remained connected for what felt like an eternity of silence.

When she looked towards Jenny, the girl was still glaring. If looks could kill, then Trina was sure to be a dead woman. Her heartbeat flared up and she brought her hand up to the side of her face, sliding her fingertips into her hair.

"I…" Jason cleared his throat and glanced to the rest of the group. "I could probably arrange for a game of soccer or something. Possibly baseball." Jason slid his right hand along the side of his neck and exhaled slowly while Travis started to grin.

"Baseball's good." She folded her hands in her lap and tilted her head down slightly so her hair could fall forward and conceal her face from the view of those beside her. "Dad used to play back in the day. He encouraged me to get involved in sports when I was a girl, always said it didn't matter if I were a girl or a boy. Lindsay's the one that got me to be more active."

He nodded once and pat the table once with his hand. "Always impressive." He looked at her once more and she felt a smile pulling at her lips.

"Thanks…"

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><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter.<p> 


	9. Tori's Letter

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 9 (Letter from Tori)<p>

Trina had a love-hate relationship with snail mail; while she enjoyed being able to sit down and write out her thoughts, she hated how long it took to send and receive the letters. It was nearly a week before Tori's letter reached her.

With the letter in hand, she threw herself onto her bed and carefully unfolded it. This was a prime time to read, since all of the day's events were done and Lindsay was at the rec center. She was eager to hear what Tori said, though part of her wondered if Tori would let her friends essentially write for her.

"Dear Trina…" She pressed her back against the wall and stretched her legs out across the bed, then crossed them over. She gripped the sides of the letter firmly and held it almost in her lap.

_Things have been really quiet here, I don't like it. Dad's been moping around, I think he misses you to be honest. He keeps coming upstairs to see how I am and stuff. I mean, it is the first time one of us has been out of the house and will be for an extended time._

She scoffed and shook her head while ignoring the level of surprise that struck her. Just the thought that her dad would miss her at all was near absurd. She wanted to know how a man that spent so much time working and never bothered to pay attention to his own family would even notice her absence.

Then maybe he did, and if that were the case, she would be delighted to know any part of him actually cared.

Trina continued reading the letter with a mist in her eyes. She'd been thinking about Tori, so finally hearing back gave her an incredible abundance of joy.

_I'm bored around here. It seems like we all are, I mean Dad's been walking around the house and Mom's done nothing but lounge around on the couch when she's not either at the hospital or in the kitchen. _

_ Andre and the others have been here, though not as often as usual. They said the way Dad's been looking at them when they're here is bothering them. I guess it's too much to suggest that probably it's because he knows how they act? I mean hell, since you've been gone they've been literally telling me how I must feel so happy that you're not around to annoy me. _

The boldness of the words 'telling' and 'I' gave her a sense of sarcasm. Her hand moved up to her chest and she breathed out heavily. "That's no surprise. They're psychic, they absolutely _must_ know how you feel." She smirked at the letter. It would be fun telling her about Jenny, and how incredibly ironic it would be if Jade had a sister.

With a sigh, she continued on with the letter. Tori's tone was mostly annoyed for the first part of the letter, and she went on to explain a conversation that went down with everybody-that may have also contributed to part of the reason they came over less. Trina was able to visualize the scene in her mind since Tori's description had been so detailed.

_Tori tossed her poker ante on the table and looked to her parents on the couch, which she was amazed to see. Being a homicide detective, her dad was often called off to work and never hung around the family when he was home. "It's nice seeing dad here for once," Tori said quietly. _

_ She asked him about it the day after Trina left and he said a homicide detective suffers from a lot of emotional stress and grief that he didn't want his family exposed to it. When he saw it was tearing them apart, he didn't know how to remedy that. Holly said he needed to take an interest in them, and maybe that would be a start._

_ "Yeah, I thought he didn't really care about you guys," Jade chuckled once and shrugged. Tori closed her eyes and ignored the snide in the girl's voice. The girl truly didn't know anything about what was going on, and she was getting to be agitated by her remarks at this point._

_ "He's interested, he just distanced himself. He's trying and he does care about us. I guess." She wanted to be the one to believe in that, unlike Trina, who still questioned the man. "He knows Trina doesn't think he cares, and that upsets him a lot. So try not to talk about-"_

_ "Who does care about her?" Tori winced and saw David's eyes slide to the corners. The man brought his leg up to his knee and Holly raised her hand to cover the enclosed hand resting on her right shoulder. "Hell, everything's quiet with her gone. Maybe he's here because Trina's gone."_

_ The man's glare became dark and the other friends began shifting around in their chairs. Each of them were glancing with caution at David while Jade didn't notice the man's callous stare. Her back was turned to him, after al._

_ "Jade, please don't-" Once more Jade interrupted with a casual air of nonchalance, preventing Tori from warning her away from insulting Trina. David was still sore about knowing she thought he didn't give a shit about her because of all the negligence, and he missed her greatly. _

_ "She's a crazy wench that tries way too hard to get any attention. She deserves to be ignored and pushed aside."_

_ "Shut up!" Cat scolded. Her words carried a powerful hiss that caused the 'great' Jade West to flinch. "You really need to cut it out. This isn't your family to insult."_

_ "Why should I, Cat?" Jade jerked her thumb to Tori and smirked. "Tori talks shit about Trina all the time."_

_ "So? She's her sister, she has a right to complain about Trina. You don't."_

_ "How is it complaining when it's true?"_

_ Andre threw his bet into the pot and raised an eyebrow at the group. "Jade's right." Tori's jaw dropped and her blood began to boil with rage and a desire to slam her fist into his face. "She's pretty much a crazy bitch."_

_ David pulled his arm away and rose from the couch. His eyes focused on Andre and Jade while he approached the table. His nostrils flared open and he appeared like a raging bull with steam billowing from his nose and ears. _

_ When Tori looked at her mother, she was horrified. Holly was giving her a disapproving look that filled her with shame. Her lips were tight and she shook her head. _

_ "Victoria Maria Vega," David began with a slow and deep voice. Robbie, Beck, and Andre all grew tense while Jade simply twisted around to look at the man. She was stunned that Jade didn't appear the least bit concerned, and soon she was questioning why this was. "I've often wondered, but I've kept quiet; how in the hell can you allow your friends to talk about your family this way? Katrina is your sister, you should treat her like one! She is not some random person that you can just gossip about like nothing."_

_ She bowed her head and folded her cards on the table. "Sorry, Daddy." Jade perked up with a bright smile and raised eyebrows. Potentially the girl wanted to make the situation better, but she wound up making things worse._

_ "It isn't gossip if it's true, Mr. Vega."_

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "I'm just saying…" David's face was red as a hot pepper and his muscles were incredibly tense. The next words that fell from his lips were loud and fierce, and they cut into Jade, telling her she had no right to talk about his daughter the way she did. _

_ Jade retorted back, then Beck came to her defense while Cat started yelling in the defense of the family. Robbie and Andre tried to remain neutral, but eventually Andre was pulled in with Beck._

_ After a long period of yelling, Tori screamed for all her friends to leave the house. Her head was pounding and she had no more reason to deal with them any longer tonight._

Trina had to put down the letter after that. Her hand came to rest over her mouth and she leaned forward, breathing heavily while failing to contain a sob that wracked her body.

Why this made her cry, she didn't know. Disbelief filled her heart with doubt, but like Tori, she wanted to believe her father was finally deciding to care about her. If he never stopped caring, that is.

She wanted proof before she could believe a letter, but what stronger proof was there besides a father's anger?

It took a few minutes to regain her composure. Tears still ran down her face, so she had to wipe them away before she could continue to read. Part of her wanted to push the letter down, ending it here, but she didn't want to do that to something Tori sent. It meant as much to the girl as it meant to her.

"God…" Trina swallowed a lump in her throat and shot a curious look at the door. "At least Lindsay's not here." She looked down at the letter and focused on the rest.

_ I'm sorry things got so bad for you, Trina. I don't know what to say, but you're my sister and I will always love you. I know I talk a lot about you to my friends, and I'm going to do less of that._

_ I do want you to know, all those things you said in the last letter, I don't know how to make you feel better. I want to, because you're my sister and I love you. I feel the same way about a lot of things: Dad's always getting called out to some homicide and never has time for us, and Mom's almost the same way, so I feel left out too. I know I shouldn't have made you feel worse, I just, I'm sorry. I became too involved with my friends, I wanted that attention too that I forgot to focus on what was important. _

_ Then the men in your life you were complaining about. I know it's hard, after what happened with Danny, I didn't think there was any point in relationships either. It's easy to forget you've been crapped on too. Whether it was that possessive jerk, the people who stood you up, or even the guy that tried to you know…you've been through a lot, but don't give up. You'll find someone who cares about you. I know you will._

_ I hope maybe you'll find someone, or something, that will give you that purpose you were talking about in the last letter._

She stopped and pulled her tear-filled gaze away from the letters and focused her mind on the heavy pounding within her chest. "Isn't that the problem?" She spent all her time looking for approval and attention from others, and she wasn't going to get that.

When she looked back, Tori's next words stilled her heart and took her breath away.

_I think the trick to getting attention is to be confident in who you are and being real. Because I asked Mr. Sikowitz about it, and he said that people like and respect someone more when that person is true to themselves and not just putting on an act for everybody in an attempt to garner that attention. _

_ You try to sing, you try to act and nobody wants to pay any attention because you overdo it and you're not being yourself. You're not an actor, you're not a singer; but that doesn't mean you don't have something. Think about what you really want in your life, what's in your heart and stuff like that. I mean, do you want to be an actress? Is your passion singing? Or is that just something you want to be involved in because it gives you something you have in common with people you want to like you?_

The words resonated with her and frightened her because they came from Tori. This was something for her to think about, and certainly something to consider. "She's right." Her words fell out with a breath of air which billowed from her lips like smoke. "I can't-"

It was a question she'd been struggling with already, and she didn't know the answer. Who was she? What did she want to do with her life? Lindsay, and even Jason, said the answer seemed clear as they watched her. So did those in the class.

Maybe it was clear, but she didn't know. Still, she couldn't look for those answers to come from anyone but herself.

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><p>The next chapter and this one were written together, but both ended up focusing on something that felt like they needed to be standalone, so I'll give both to you here. However, I'd like to know your thoughts on this. The sisters will be going through their own growth and I am working on a side story that will show in more detail the changes and the stuff Tori's trying to work on in her end but for this we're focused on Trina.<p> 


	10. Workout Challenge

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Since it was written with chapter 9, but separated because it worked as a standalone, I give both to you together as a present of sorts.

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><p>Chapter 10 (Challenge)<p>

Still needing time to think on Tori's letter before she wrote it, she made her way to the gym to do some exercise. There were some rooms that could be sectioned off for people wishing to work out in their own space, and as she walked by them, she was shocked to see Jason in one of them.

The door had a glass window large enough to peer through. Jason's back was turned as he approached a pull up bar that was beside a workout bench and dumbbells.

Trina leaned forward and pressed the palm of her hand against the door while focusing on his back. He appeared very muscular, which didn't come to a shock, and she wasn't focusing so much on them.

Rather, he had his shirt off and a towel around his neck, and on his body were numerous scars. Some were sickle-shaped while others were in the shape of gashes. They were gut-wrenching to see and Trina was struck by a great deal of concern for him.

"What happened?" She whispered to no one in particular. Jason turned around, peering up at the long iron bar. His chest also had some light scars made brighter by the glaze of sweat that covered him as a blanket.

He grabbed the bar with his palms inwards, tightened his lips together and lifted himself. When his chin touched the top of the bar, he bent his knees and spread his lips apart to reveal clenched and focused teeth.

Fearing that he might see her watching, she turned back and pushed her back against the metal part of the door. Her hand moved to her chest and she was overcome with grief and curiosity.

Eventually she built up the courage to knock on the door. When it opened, Jason had put a white t-shirt back on and greeted her with a smile. "Trina. Come to work out?"

"I did, and I saw you in here. I was surprised to see you." She wanted to ask about the scarring, but she didn't want to start a prying. It could be that he didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't want to come off trying to ask a million questions about his personal life.

While they did talk a few times over the last week, it wasn't much. He was busy a lot of times and truthfully couldn't help it. There was so much that he had to plan, and then there were problem students he had to deal with-versus those he just didn't want to have to deal with.

"Have you been to the gym here before?" Jason ran his towel across his neck, wiping away the sweat reflecting the light. "As you can see, private rooms for people who want to work out on their own."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're in one of them."

"Yeah, it's quieter." He leaned his shoulders against the wall, crossed his legs and folded his forearms across his abs.

Having seen him without his shirt, she couldn't force the image out of his mind. He had a six-pack, had a powerful looking chest, and arms that she was beginning to imagine could wrap around her and hold her tight.

Trina moved her hand up to her right temple and closed her eyes while shaking her head.

Jason looked off at the large workout area at the other end of the gym and curled his eyebrows together. "There's usually a group of people at that area down there that spend their time laughing and carrying on. Rather than irritating people by asking them to keep it down, working out in these rooms tends to be a better alternative."

"I can understand that. I like the silence better myself."

"Yeah." He brought his arms up and crossed them over his chest. "Are you alright?" Her eyes flew open and her lips curved into a tiny smile.

"I guess. I'm just thinking about my sister's letter." She walked into the private room, preferring this conversation be between them and not potentially heard by others. Jason appeared to catch on and followed her in.

"Good that you've been writing to your family."

"Yeah…" She took a seat on the bench and let out a grunt. It was wet and smelled of cleaner, but that didn't help the moisture that was now sinking into her purple jogging pants. "She asked me something. I don't know the answer."

"Oh?" Jason moved onto the exercise bike across from her and sat down. He leaned forward, folding his arms on the top part of the handlebars. "Something I can help with?" Her lips pursed and she had to take a moment to question whether she really wanted to discuss this with him.

"I doubt it. It's a little personal, but…" Part of her felt she could confide in him, as nuts as it was, and of course she couldn't come off clingy. "My sister tries to be optimistic about a lot of things. She tries to help. She asked me what I wanted to do with my life, what did I want to be."

"And?"

"I don't know." She pat the back of her neck and rolled her head against it with a deep sigh. "I have…" Trina then dropped her head and shoulders, her hands firmly grasped the edge of the bench and she started chuckling. Her heart slammed into her chest and she lifted her head. "I've always tried to figure out who I was by being like other people or liking what they liked. Maybe people would pay attention to me if I were more like them."

Jason slid his right hand up and out into the air. "What do you like? I mean, just focus on what you like and people who have common interests will take notice."

"Yeah. The thing is, I don't know if there's really any point anymore. If maybe it's too late." She stood up and walked to the dumbbells. "I love exercise, working out and playing sports. I don't mind getting a little bit dirty."

Trina's hand hovered over the dumbbells and she squinted her eyes as the number on them. "At the same time, yes I enjoy looking nice, dressing up and having fun with the 'girly girls' as they're called." It was a label she never truly understood, she couldn't see why a 'tomboyish' girl couldn't enjoy heels and dresses.

"Can you tell me what's wrong with that?" She grabbed the fifteen pound weights and walked over to the bench. Jason raised an eyebrow and pushed himself into an upright position, watching as she started to position herself on the bench. "What's wrong with a girl that likes to wear heels and looking nice working out and playing sports?"

"Nothing." Her heart skipped a beat and she practically dropped the dumbbell. Jason stood from the bike and began walking over. "I actually respect a girl like that a little more. Liking to play sports, get yourself a little dirty, and work out doesn't mean you can't also enjoy dressing up nice, wearing makeup, or trying on heels."

"I, um, I take a lot after my dad." She bent over the side of the bench, put her knee upon it and placed her right palm flat on the head portion. Her left hand clutched the dumbbell and she began to bring it up behind her. "It's been a little time since I've used dumbbells though."

"I see."

When she wasn't feeling like she was doing something right, she turned her head to Jason and her eyes slid up to the man. "I'm not sure if I'm in the right position." He was smirking and rubbing his chin.

"No. No you're not." She tucked a portion of her lower lip beneath her teeth and peered down at the palm of her hand, closing her eyes and sucking in a heavy breath of air as she felt his hand grace the small of her back.

He applied a small amount of pressure, enabling her to lower herself. "Your back is bent, you need to keep it perfectly straight or you'll injure yourself." His hand exuded heat, which radiated into her spine and sent a shiver into her heart. "Now your arm…"

Jason's free hand moved around her elbow and pulled it parallel with her side. "Bend it at a right angle, make it parallel with your body." The hand on her back slid down her body, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. "Straighten your leg a little bit also."

"Like this?" She followed his directions and looked towards the dumbbell. She knew at this point how to do the routine, but feeling his hands on her body created such a sensation that made her want to feel more.

"Now slowly." He moved his two forefingers onto her wrist and guided it up. She pulled it into a straight and parallel position, then slowly brought it back into the angel he placed it in. "And you do that a certain amount, then switch arms."

"Okay." When they were done with this, she moved over to the pull up bars. She intentionally made the first one sloppy, which she felt a bit of guilt over, but it enabled Jason to 'show' her how it was done.

"Again, back straight." His hands caressed her waist and her body began to shiver at the touch. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw him smirking-as if he already knew what she was doing. "It must remain straight as you pull yourself up. There's no need to swing your body or do any fancy tricks…"

She then performed a pullup, curling her arms at a ninety-degree angle. She tilted her head back and moved it forward to touch her chin to the bar, then smirked with pride as Jason's hands left her waist.

"Yes. Just like that." She ran through twenty, then dropped to the ground with a grunt. Her eyes flew to his handsome smirk, then she smirked back at him. "So you didn't need any help with that."

"Is that so?" Trina flipped her hair over her shoulder and raised her right eyebrow at him. "Well. Have you ever met a woman that could do more pushups than you?" He let out a scoffing laugh and waved his hand dismissively before his chest. "What?"

"I've been working out nearly all my life."

"So? Get down on the ground and show me what you can do."

"A challenge?" He swept his finger across his nose and gave her a smug grin. "I'll say the same." He moved around her like a lion studying its prey. His gaze was sharp and his smirk was confident, but Trina felt certain she could get him for one reason: He'd already been working out longer than she had today. "Do you care to make any wager?"

"Sure. I win, you spar with me outside class." This was a grand opportunity to get to know each other a little more, and maybe develop some kind of friendship. "Practice makes perfect, right?" Jason swayed to the right and his eyebrow drifted up. Trina smiled innocently. "Plus, you're always working. Take a break. The world won't crumble without you."

"I don't know. Normally I don't think I'd mind spending a little bit of time, but sparring?"

Trina took her turn to circle him, sliding her index finger across his upper chest as she walked. "Certainly you don't think I'm out of practice." His chest was like a great valley with an indent in the middle, and smooth to the touch. She started to laugh, and felt herself shudder when she started to remove her hand.

He caught her hand in his and she flicked her gaze to his while letting her palm press down onto his chest. "I don't know." Jason tilted his head and let his eyelids fall halfway. "You've got a lot of confidence, but I'm a third degree black belt."

"What does that mean? I mean, I understand there's more than just a simple blackbelt, but-"

"It just means we're progressing into further stages and becoming more proficient and more eligible to teach. Eighth Dan or perhaps degree would imply grandmaster, fifth is master and so on. Essentially over a course of more years we still advance further."

"Oh. Well then." Her lips slid into a circle and silence felt as a cloak that surrounded them. The longer their eyes connected, the more she could feel a trembling from within, but she did what she could to push it down. "I'm fairly certain you can teach me, and I can more than handle a whatever degree black belt."

"Alright then." When the lines around the raised corner of his lip deepened and intensified, she felt a powerful heat strike her and in an instant, draw the sweat from her pores. "Still have to best me at pushups, you actress and singer, you."

She stood on toes, trying to stand level with him, and leaned forward. Her eyes narrowed and her lips spread into a wide and toothy grin. "You're on."

Within an hour, Trina was back at her room and happily writing Tori back her thoughts. She'd come back from taking a friendly jog around camp with Jason. Over time the thought of what to say to Tori came to mind.

_I'm still uncertain how to answer you regarding your statement. I mean, I guess you're right. I'm no actress, and maybe I'm no singer either. I'm still trying to figure myself out, but yeah I'd like to have friends and people that care about me like everyone else. _

_ I guess I am making friends. Do you remember Lindsay Peters? She found me here at camp when she signed up, she's my roommate. Also, I met Jason, and well-_

Trina swept her hair over her ear and looked sideways at her window. Blood rose to her cheeks as she visualized him working out, with his back muscles and chest tightening on every contraction. Then when they did the pushups, his shirt was clinging tightly to his body, and sweat was dripping from his nose and his parted lips.

She started to smile, then brought her pen back to continue writing. Tori would likely ask her about him in her next letter, but that was fine.

_He is a good man, and I think I told you about my running into him already. We had a couple conversations since being here, and then tonight I challenged him to outdo me at pushups. Guess what? I won! He tired out and I kept going for another ten, so he's going to train and practice with me outside of class. I hope his ex-girlfriend won't be a problem, but she's like Jade, mean and obsessive, only way worse. There's more to it, but I won't say._

_ Still, there's nothing between the two of us, he's just some guy who happens to be really attractive._

She took a pause, and remembering her sister's account of her father's reactions as of late, she could feel her heart begin to flicker. Her dad wouldn't be the protective type-not of her. The only time he ever displayed anything was when it involved Tori. Yet she was fairly certain when she was a kid, he treated her like she was his favorite daughter. Things truly did change when Hollywood Arts came into light.

_Tori, do mom and dad read these? It really doesn't matter, because Jason is just my group leader and someone I've been spending a little bit of time with this last week._

Trina went on to talk about the flag football game they had the other day. It was a fun time, and Tori would like to hear it. Hopefully. At least this time there was no real need for her to rant about anything negative, and out of respect for Jason, she didn't want to reveal personal information.

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><p>I'm fairly certain mom and dad do read the letters, haha. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What are your thoughts? Those scars on Jason's body do mean something, but of course we'll get to his past later on down the road once something may hopefully develop between the two. I hope you enjoyed their moment in that workout room. At this point neither of the two are actively seeking a relationship with anybody, but I want to impress upon the reader that attraction still exists between two people, it just takes time for it to build and a desire for someone to act on it. Perhaps that shall happen? They seem on a road to friendship, and isn't that how it all begins? Enjoy.<p> 


	11. Trina's Reason

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I accidentally uploaded Enchanted's chapter in this story's slot, which gave you an alert for this. So because of that accident...I will give you this chapter today instead of tomorrow as planned. Here you go

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><p>Chapter 11 (Trina's Reason)<p>

The next morning Trina awoke bright and early so she wouldn't run the risk of being late. It was earlier than normal and she was extremely excited for some reason she didn't understand. She wondered if the excitement was due to the possibility of training with Jason after class, which she was looking forward to.

When she bolted for the bathroom door, it was shut and she could hear running water. Her heart dropped and she bounced on her toes while looking anxiously at the door of their room.

"Lindsay?" Her question came out in a whine, which startled her. "Um. I uh, how long are you in there for?" She heard a clattering noise and then the ferocious shower grew quieter.

"Trina, you're already up?" Trina looked to the right and waited as the shower turned off and wet footsteps sloshed across the floor. The door opened partially and Lindsay's toweled head poked out. Her right hand reached around the door, revealing her wristband. The girl had a shocked expression on her face and was staring back at her. "I'm done now. Usually I'm longer, but if you're already up…"

"I think I'm just a little overeager to get to class today." Lindsay gave her a knowing smile and started to close the door.

"Just let me get dressed, then the bathroom's all yours." She was taken aback by the look given by her best friend and started back to the bed. The door was still cracked open, so she watched as a shadow moved past the crack, darkening the light, then bringing it back. "Looking to meet up with Jason later, I bet."

"We're just going to work on a little training, that's all. Just friends." Lindsay's laugh startled her. She folded her hands in her lap and focused on the stone floor with a sigh. Her body slouched and she shook her head. "Lindsay. Men and I don't really do well, and I don't think he's interested in any kind of relationship."

"Have you asked?" The door opened back up and Lindsay was dressed in her white _gi_. Her wet hair seemed to twist and turn while flowing out.

"No, and why should I? Lindsay, I'm really not looking." Lindsay pat the right side of her neck with the towel, then moved it to her left side. "I don't want to put myself in a position to be hurt." The girl tossed her towel on the bed with a heavy sigh and pushed her hands to her hips.

"Explain?"

"There's not much to say." She never had a relationship that lasted long enough, and the one that did last ended up being a possessive asshole that turned stalker when her dad helped her dump the asshole.

By 'help' this meant a barely-thirteen year old girl's father went to the boy's house and essentially told him that when his daughter said the relationship was 'over', she meant it. Then after the stalking begun, a restraining order had to be filed. The problem with that boy was he was a high school junior, which made matters worse.

There were far too many people to count that stood her up when either they asked her out or she asked them on a date. Many told her she was too crazy, too obscene, too intimidating, and so on.

Then there was the final and most grievous insult that made her truly uncomfortable and nervous around most men-including Tori's guy friends. A guy she dated for about a week tried to go too far and tried to force himself on her.

In a way, Tori saved her from that.

"A lot of guys hurt me." Trina ran her hand up her arm and Lindsay's hands fell to the sides. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The last guy I dated was over two years ago. He tried to force himself on me in my bedroom."

Lindsay's pupils dilated and her breathing grew shallow. "What?" Trina's body trembled as she recalled the memory of fighting the boy off her. Lindsay sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Trina, I-"

"He didn't." She'd already dabbled in martial arts at this point, but was considering an end. This man was the reason she kept fighting, to learn to defend herself. "I was struggling with him and he heard Tori's bedroom door slam, that left him open and I fought him then shouted for Tori to get Dad."

"Oh my god."

"I'm fine." Trina pushed Lindsay's hand away from her shoulder and leaned forward, clasping her hands tightly between her knees. Her eyebrows twitched and slid together, and stress lines formed from her lips. "I'm sick of being hurt, sick of thinking somebody will hurt me, whether friend or romantic interest."

"Do you think Jason will hurt you?"

"I don't _know_ Jason." She pushed herself up from the bed and started to raise her voice in frustration. "I don't know him enough to even consider a relationship with him even if I were interested in that."

"Trina." She waved her hand in the air and started for the bathroom door. "I'm sorry I upset you…" She stopped and looked over the left shoulder. Her lips curled into a tiny smile as Lindsay bowed her head and nervously pat her knee.

"You didn't upset me." Lindsay lifted her head slowly and started to smile. "I just don't want to talk about this. I mean, I've got enough on my plate."

Trina managed to make it to the class earlier than expected. She found Jason practicing a fierce and advanced martial arts formation as his two friends, Eric and Travis, looked on.

Travis and Eric saw her and waved. Jason was so focused on his formation that he didn't even look up. Travis made his way over and she continued watching Jason, so intrigued by his formation.

"Don't mind him, he probably realizes you're here." She did a double take, having not expected to be talking to Travis. "He gets so focused on his own formations that he's in his own world."

Jason's hair was normally combed back, but today it was drenched with sweat and had fallen over his forehead, sticking as though the sweat were glue. His top was slightly open at the chest area, revealing a tiny portion of a former scar.

Intrigued, she thought about asking Travis. This was the perfect opportunity to ask someone who seemed to be a good friend of Jason's a little more about him. "You seem like you've known Jason a long time."

"It's been a couple of years, yeah. I'm still back in Texas, but we talk on Skype and stuff when we're not at this camp." Travis crossed his arms and looked over to the door with a heavy sigh.

"Is he always this intense?"

"Not _always_, I mean he's a fairly calm and easy going guy." Travis leaned back against a wall and bent sideways to set his elbow on top of a tall punching bag. "He's under a lot of stress at camp though, I think he's getting tired of doing this."

Travis turned his head over to Jason and Trina pursed her lips. "Why?" The man raised an eyebrow at her and pointed at the door.

"I'm sorry you've met Jenny, right?"

"She's his ex."

"Right." A stalker by all accounts, though she wasn't sure. As far as she knew, the girl came to camp to try and get Jason to fall back in love with her. "She constantly shows up at this camp because it's the only way she can find him, and she forces her way onto his team. It's such a hassle for other group leaders, so he just leaves it alone."

"How close were they?"

"Not very close." His shoulders rose and fell, and his face turned to an expression of pure annoyance. "She was possessive from the start, verbally abusive, and maybe a little physical too." She gasped and returned her attention to Jason. He delivered a high kick to the side and let out a powerful shout. "He couldn't stand her and finally broke things off with her, she couldn't take it and still hasn't accepted that not only is it over, but he does not want her back."

"Did she inflict those scars?"

"Scars?" Travis frowned at his friend and pulled his arm down to the side. "Maybe one or two, but in general, no. You would have to ask him, that's something that's a little personal for him."

"Oh…I don't want to pry."

"He doesn't talk a lot about himself, but he could tell you, who knows? You two have been friendly with one another." She bounced her eyebrows and Travis turned towards her. "I will say this. The scars he has? They're the reason he fights. If you think about fighting as not fighting to attack but to protect; to defend."

"He's not violent…"

Travis started to laugh. It was almost a disconcerting experience, but she still felt a sense of relief. "Not at all." Her heart lifted up and she began to smile at Jason. "He's one of the most gentle people you're going to meet, once you get past that damned tough shell he's got around himself."

He was hurt too. She could tell, and of course, that was the look that had been in his eyes so frequently. "I never got a dangerous vibe from him."

"So what about you, Trina? What do you train for?"

"Huh?"

"We all have our reasons, usually the defense of ourselves or to protect someone else. Me? I look after my kid brother."

"That's nice. I um, I really don't want to say."

He brought his hand up and smiled with respect. "I understand. I won't pry."

"Thanks."

She took a deep breath, then held it when Jason's eyes mixed with hers. In an instant her pupils enlarged and her pulse quickened as her body heat rose dangerously.

Jason straightened himself and his eyes fell halfway as his lips curved up. "Trina? You're early."

"I…" Her breath fell easily from her lips, and a tightness grew within her chest and throat. Her lips curled and she took a slow step towards him. "Thought you might appreciate that." She reached for him, grasping the inside edge of the flap on his _gi_, then slowly pulling it over to close in front of his scar.

Jason furrowed his brow and brought his hand up, pressing it against his chest. His mouth shut and he tilted his head for a moment, then she detected the tiniest smile.

Her hand was pressed beneath his, just over his heart. Her body started to relax as she focused on his swift and loud beats slamming into her palm. "I admire someone that comes early," he said, "It shows some effort."

"I've never liked to be late for anything, and besides, we still have to train later."

"Oh that's right." He smirked at her and shook his head. "I almost forgot our wager yesterday. I'm a man of my word, so I guess-" The door swung open and Jenny stepped into the classroom with a shriek.

Trina's eyes widened as the girl shot forward and pushed Trina back. "Get away from him!" She caught herself and shot a glare at Jenny, narrowing her eyes. "He only likes _real_ people anyway."

"Are you still hung up on that?" Travis asked. Jenny scowled at him and pointed at Trina.

"I'll show everyone in class you're just a big fraud, and the Jason will see." Jason crossed his arms and glared at Jenny. Trina forced down her anger at the girl. She didn't appreciate being shoved aside and having her conversation interrupted.

"I am not a fraud."

"Then prove it." Jenny stepped forward and poked Trina in the chest. In a haste, she slapped Jenny's hand away and scowled. She wanted to smack this girl around a few times, but it wouldn't be right to do without the proper reason. "You're a fake, a fraud, a phony. All you do is pretend, but you don't even know what the hell you want to do with your life. You come claiming you're a fighter, but you're not. I'll bet you don't even know what it means to practice this art-I'll bet you don't even have a reason to learn it."

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, pressing her hands between her arm and sides to keep from lashing out. "Excuse me?" Jason tried to tell Jenny to cut the shit out, but she wouldn't listen.

"You'd better put your money where your mouth is." Jenny circled her and Trina's eyes locked onto the girl. "I'm making a request. Spar with me. If you really earned that belt of yours, you won't turn it down."

Trina's fingers closed into her palms and she glanced to Jason, as though asking for his approval. His shoulders fell and he closed his eyes, then sighed while nodding his head.

"Fine," Trina replied, "Once class starts up."

She walked to the corner of the room and began her morning stretch routine. While doing this, she observed her surroundings to see what the others would be doing.

Jason had gone over to his desk and was standing at the other side, leaning over it and placing his palms down on the surface while reading his lecture notes. Every so often, he would glance up and his eyes would hold on her for several seconds.

For him to watch her, she was a little stunned, but she liked it. It felt like he were watching over her, because no one could be certain what Jenny might do.

Even now, Travis was arguing with Jenny for the interruption. Eric was in another part of the room, doing his stretches as well.

When it was time to spar, there was a sense of profound silence that came over the room. The students lined up against the wall as Trina and Jenny made their way to the center.

Jenny's fists were clenched tight and her eyes held a sharp and angry tone. "I'm going to show everybody," Jenny growled, "That you're just a wench that doesn't know your place." Trina unfolded her arms as she approached and furrowed her brow.

"I wonder…" Some people got into martial arts for the wrong reasons, and she wanted to know what reason Jenny had. "You just want to fight, but they say this isn't something to fight people. It's for defense."

"I'll do what I have to."

Trina shook her head and held her hands at her waist. The girls bowed at one another, then she crouched partially and braced herself for what was to come. Her muscles were tight, yet her body was relaxed and poised for defense.

Normally she might take the first shot, but not here and not against Jenny. "I have my reasons," Trina said slowly, "I'm no fraud." She may not know exactly what she was doing, but she knew now that she wasn't destined to be some starlet.

"You'd better find another place to belong. To fit in. It isn't here."

"No." Trina's heart pulsated and her lip twitched as she turned her head. "Jade was right. About that school and all of that, I didn't belong there. You might be right, I might not know what I'm looking for, but you're wrong about a lot of things. This is where I feel okay, I'm no fraud and I don't have to act to be where I'm at."

"Stop talking. Poser."

"You're not concerned about that, you're concerned about something else." Jenny wanted to impress Jason, that was the issue. She wanted not only to impress Jason, but to humiliate Trina and remove what she foresaw as a potential threat. "This is a fight for the wrong reasons."

"Shut up." Jenny ran for her and Trina held her pose. When the redhead approached her, she crouched low and struck a blow for Trina's waist. Trina's eyes grew and she slung her left arm down, striking Jenny's right wrist with the palm of her hand.

With the blow deflected, Trina brought her right knee up to waist level, dangling her leg in the air and curling her foot to look like a fang waiting to dive into its prey. Jenny hopped back and sneered when Trina kicked forward.

Jenny flipped her left hand over and pushed her arm forward, trying to strike Trina's throat with her fingernails. Trina twisted around with her torso and leaned away from the strike.

She jumped and repositioned her feet. Her eyes slanted and adrenaline began to pour from her pounding heart. Jenny looked to her side, where Trina was now standing and froze. Trina brought her hands down in knife-hand strikes, hitting Jenny in the stomach and back.

The girl screeched and then leaned away to bring her leg up in a side kick. Trina leaned backwards and dealt a frontal kick, pushing her foot into Jenny's.

Jenny stumbled back and ripped out a frustrated scream. _"You're not a singer." _ Trina exhaled slowly and returned to her fight stance. She brought her hands to her waist and looked to the redhead with fire in her eyes. _"You're not an actor." _

_ "What are you? Who are you? What do you want? Where do you want to go? What is in your heart?"_

Jenny raced for her once more, screaming as she dealt a flurry of punches. Trina gasped out and worked fast to deflect the blows.

_ "I don't know."_

Seeing an exit, Trina somersaulted back and landed low with her right leg bent and stretched out in front of her while her left slid back behind her. Jenny's eyes widened and Trina slowly spanned her arms out into the air as if she were swimming through the air.

_ Athlete._

Trina met the girl's frightful eyes and flared her nostrils. The girl was panting heavily, and sweat was dripping off her body like rain. Most of her energy reserves had been wasted, but Trina was just beginning. _ "I am strong. I am powerful. I am a…"_

Jenny cracked her neck and rushed forward once more. Trina followed her with her eyes, watching as the girl slid down on her right. Jenny's right hand fell onto her, but Trina connected with her right forearm. As Jenny passed, she kicked back, touching her heel into Jenny's lower back and forcing the girl to stagger.

_ Martial Artist. _

Sweat poured around her eyes and down her neck, gluing her hair to her skin in an instant. She turned slowly, keeping her position, and sucked a deep breath. Her eyes flew to her classmates, then Jason, all watching with a profound silence and deep intensity. _"Will they notice me?" _

Jenny turned and Trina saw a crazed look in her eyes. One that was all too familiar to her. _"I don't do this to gain recognition. I do this for protection, for my own defense. I do this so they don't get close, so they can't hurt."_

Jenny made one last swift approach, but this time it was different. Trina's heart stopped as her mind flashed to that of Ross, the last man she dated that tried to force himself on her.

She clenched her teeth, picturing him in the same form that Jenny was now in: Arms outstretched with hands cupped, ready to grab at her throat. He had her up against the wall, thinking he was able to overpower her.

As her hands crushed her throat, she could feel her oxygen depleting and her struggling was starting to slow as consciousness was starting to flee.

A loud sounded out, snapping Trina's focus back. One of the classmates dropped something on the floor, and the bang echoed through the room. It held the same noise as Tori's angry door slamming shut.

She took a deep breath to bring air back into her lungs and watched the time slow as Jenny twisted around to look at the student that made the noise. Just as Ross had done. Trina raised her leg and thrust it forward with a powerful yell. Jenny turned back and her jaw started to fall as Trina's foot came for her chest.

She brought her hands up to block the blow, but instead, Trina pushed as much power as she could without causing severe damage but just enough to send the girl to the floor.

With Jenny on her back, Trina was able to was able to approach her. Jenny's hands fell to the floor beside her and she pushed her upper body up into the air, looking into Trina's eyes with a sudden gasp.

All of the pain and fear was now clear to everyone in the class. She saw Jason step forward, his eyebrows moved together and his lips closed together. "Call it," she said quietly.

"N-No," Jenny demanded. "I don't accept it." Trina rolled her eyes and stared down at her, narrowing her tear-filled eyes.

Her body trembled and she could feel her blood shooting through her veins at breakneck speed. "I almost gave up." Her chest expanded slowly and she clenched her fists tightly. "Nearly three years ago, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I still don't know for sure, but I have a better idea here than I did before. Back then I thought it wasn't athletic stuff, I didn't think martial arts was right for me so I was ready to quit."

Jenny's lip twitched into a snarky grin and her eyes narrowed. "I knew it." Trina pulled her hair away from her sticky neck and pulled a small hair tie from her inside chest pocket. She put her hair into a ponytail and started to sigh.

"A man I was dating for about a week was getting a little too aggressive. He wanted something I didn't want." A sorrowful tone came over her voice and she watched as the others looked away from her. Jason's lips parted and his eyebrows rose slightly.

"I tried to fight him off. He got me, put his hands on my throat and probably would have got what he wanted if not for…" She looked away and winced as her stomach tightened. "My sister was arguing with Mom and Dad, she slammed her bedroom door and that man got distracted. Enough that I could push him away."

She turned away from Jenny and the others, ready to leave the class. At least for today. "I struck him down, using what I learned from the martial arts classes I had, then I ran out telling Tori to get Dad. After that, I went back to my classes, continued to train. Defense, protection, shield…that's why I fight. That's why I'm here."

Jenny stood up and scowled at her. "You still have no business being here." Trina heard someone curse and looked back to see Travis pointing an accusing finger at Jenny.

"You're the one that doesn't belong here," he exclaimed in a powerful tone, "You're the one following Jason around. You're only here because you want him to like you and you can't stand his even looking at a girl. No means no, and 'over' means it's over. If anyone doesn't belong, it's you. Leave Trina alone, and leave Jason alone."

"Don't bother, Travis." Trina smiled at him, then started for the door. She admired the man for standing up for his friend, and even for her. Jason called out to her, but she didn't stop. "I need to be alone right now, I'm sorry." She cleared her throat and waved them off. "I can't…" She was grateful that the sweat concealed her tears, but the sickness she felt couldn't be shoved away.

"I'll see all of you later."

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><p>Well, she did bring Jenny down finally. So a lot happened in this chapter. We've learned a little about everyone, so what are your thoughts? Jenny took it too far it seems, so what do you think will happen now? It was good to see Trina spar against Jenny and actually win. Although it was more like a match than a practice spar.<p> 


	12. A New Friend

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I trust you will enjoy this chapter, please read and enjoy a milestone chapter.

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><p>Chapter 12 (A New Friend)<p>

It was her turn now, and Lindsay wasn't here, but she didn't want her friend to be here. She couldn't be strong for Lindsay if she herself were weak, and right now, that was exactly how she felt.

Occasionally she'd glance to the clock on the desk, but it was hard to see with the hazy and blurred vision that her tears gave her. They were like bubbles in her puffy eyes. Her nose had been running with her tears for the past several hours, and every once in a while she had to wipe the mucus from her upper lip and nostrils.

Trina buried her face into her pillow and screamed in an attempt to alleviate the pain in her chest. The memories that haunted her were made fresh again and she didn't know how to combat them.

It wasn't just Ross, or Mitchell-the stalker-nor was she focusing solely on the people who stood her up throughout her life. They were all just a part of a problem, just as much as Jade was for all of her statements regarding her worthlessness.

The men that hurt her were only tools to confirm and prove that Tori's friends were right. Further proof that even Jenny had a point: nobody would ever care about her. "I deserve to be alone," she cried, "That's who I am."

She thought she heard a footstep and lifted her head an inch from her pillow. "Trina?" Jason's compassionate and strong voice touched her eardrums like a melody and caused her heart to skip. Her breath caught in her throat and she clenched her eyes shut.

Had he heard her?

"Go away," she stammered. She didn't want him seeing her in this state either. "Leave me alone. Just everyone leave me alone, everyone does." Her mattress bounced beneath her and she gripped the edges and let out a startled gasp. His gentle hand ran over her upper back, rubbing it. The sensation comforted her tense muscles and she let herself collapse once more into the mattress. "Jason." She moaned into the pillow and her body shook like an earthquake was ravaging her. "Why are you here?"

"You didn't show up for group activity and you didn't go to lunch. I stayed a little after the class for you as well, in case you wanted to come back and train."

Her face burrowed further into the pillow and shrugged. She was sorry to miss it all, but she couldn't deal with it in the shape she was in. "Am I in trouble for skipping group activity?" He pulled his hand away and she turned her head slightly to see his hands firmly placed on the top of his legs.

"No." She released her grip on the edge of her bed and pushed down on the mattress to lift her upper body up slightly. "I'm putting in a transfer request for Jenny. One of the other group counselors will have to take her, but that means I have to bring someone in."

"Won't that be a hassle?"

"It's a lot of work, yes, but it might be for the best." Jenny would only stress out whatever group leader had her, and there was still a chance she would try to bother Jason.

Jason looked off to the door and Trina looked down at her pillow. There was a darker, wet circle that framed where her face had been. "I…" Her arms struggled to keep her body up and her hair collapsed around her faced. "I know you didn't want to put that stress on any of the other group leaders."

"Yeah, I said I could deal with that burden." He ran his hand over his neck and closed his eyes. "They don't need to deal with her, because she will cause problems for them."

"You're not switching her out because of me."

"Some of the others in the group have asked for a transfer." She still didn't approve, since Jenny was attacking her and no one else. "She is also a distraction for the group. I cannot simply send her home either, as much as I would like to."

"Why?"

"So far she hasn't broken any of the camp's rules. Even if she did, she would have to receive warnings first." Her eyes dipped towards the floor and her hands slid beneath the pillow.

"If she's causing you too much stress, and you think putting her in another group would better for you, then you should do that. What do you want?" Jason sighed and smiled at her. "You shouldn't have to force yourself to deal with her for the entire camp."

"You're right." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "She and I didn't date very long at all, she showed her possessiveness quickly and I was able to break it off with her. She latched on like a leech."

She wiped her eyes and sat up beside him. Her eyes rolled up towards the door. "Can I ask? Just out of curiosity." He glanced over and she met his eyes with a sad smile. "Do you, or did you have anyone special back home? I mean…"

"No. I haven't had the urge to date anyone for a while. I put my focus in other things, more important avenues." His hands pat his knees a couple times and his shoulders rose slowly. "You?"

She shook her head. "I haven't thought about it in a long time. Even making friends is difficult for me." Her chest pain grew worse and she clenched her teeth tightly. "People don't usually want to get to know me that much, so I come off strong when I show an interest in someone."

"Ah."

"I don't mean to, it just translates into that. I don't think I'm forceful, I don't want to come off that way." She swept a tear from her eyes and scoffed loudly. "If I don't try to do that, people don't take an interest in me, so I end up fighting just to get someone to even look my way."

"If it means anything, I think you're worth knowing." Her heart jumped to her throat and her eyes shot up at him as her lips fell apart. Fresh tears erupted like lava from her eyes. Jason smiled into her eyes and reached over, patting her knees. "Come on, I want to show you something."

He stood up and waved her to the door. "What?" She mustered the strength to get up and felt as though she were watching herself move towards him. "What is it?"

"Something I think will help you relax."

She followed him without question, uncertain what she was getting herself into. It felt a lot like when she would follow Lindsay around during their childhood adventures.

They ended up leaving the campgrounds and hiked through the wooded area until they found a wall of large rocks to grip on. When Jason started to climb, so did she.

"I can't believe you're making me climb rocks," she laughed-for once today she felt less like jumping off a cliff. Her fingers grasped at the jagged corners of the rocks and she placed her shoes in manmade holes in the wall. Jason peered down at her with a smirk and wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Someone said a while back that you enjoyed rock climbing."

She reached up for the edge of a rock above her and pulled herself up with a grunt. "How the hell do you remember this stuff?" She looked up at him and heard another laugh. "You climb out here rather frequently?"

"All the time." It wasn't a large rock, and certainly not one that needed a lot of safety equipment. However it was tall, and very wide. Whatever was at the top was enough to warrant Jason wanting her to see, so she was looking forward to it.

The thrill that her adrenaline was feeding her was enormous and pushing her onward. "You know something?" She thought about what Tori would say to this, or more the reaction that her mother would have had so long ago, then laughed. "If my family knew I did this kind of stuff, they'd throw a shit fit."

"You think?"

"Well. They would have when I was younger, and mainly my mom. Dad was a thrill seeker when he was young, and Tori? I think she probably would be just as annoyed as mom." She pulled herself up once more and looked at what was above her.

To her right, smaller rocks were tumbling from where Jason was. There was a rock within arm's reach that could serve as a good opportunity to pull herself up, but she was going to have to be quick about grabbing the rock directly above that.

_No sudden movements_

A crucial rule in climbing things like this was not to be hasty and to take things slow, but sometimes swiftness was needed. The only footing she could gain was in a slot just beneath the first rock.

"Alright." She sucked in a deep breath and gripped the corner of the rock, then pulled herself up. In an instant she reached up with her left hand and lurched her body upwards to grab the rock.

She hoisted herself up, reaching ahead with her right hand and slamming her right foot into the foot hold. She grabbed a rock above her, but was left with no hole for her left foot. Instead, she had to press her shoe against it. "Shit." Her eyes scanned the area above her and her face turned to a sour grimace. "There's nowhere to grab onto."

Some feet above her was the edge of this rock structure. It was probable that she could jump and grab the edge, but with no support on her left foot, it was unlikely. "Jason!" He poked his head over the edge and reached down with his hand.

"Grab my hand, I'll pull you up the rest of the way."

She grabbed his hand and held her breath and felt herself being jolted up. His left hand swung around to the small of her back and guided her along. Her left knee pushed against the top of the mountain and she swung her right foot up to the top.

"Thanks." She exhaled and looked back as Jason helped her to stand. It wasn't a long drop, though they still stood above many trees. "Damn." She put her hand to her neck and stretched herself. "God what a climb."

When she saw him smirk, her heart both dropped and grew in excitement. Jason pointed to another wall nearby and she looked up with a sigh. "Just a little higher, if you feel up to it."

"Should I even ask what you're getting me into?"

"You'll see."

"Seriously? You do remember I don't like heights."

Jason flashed a smile and brought his hand up to her right upper arm. The warmth of his touch penetrated her skin and caused her to draw in a sharp breath. "Trust me. I won't let you fall." Her shoulders peaked and she leaned forward, dropping her gaze.

"Better not." Her lips curled up and she glanced at the rock wall with excitement. "I think if you did, my sister might hunt you down."

"Lindsay seems scarier."

Trina smirked and approached the wall. Her fingertips brushed against the sediment and her eyes drifted over to the man. "She is."

They reached the top after several more minutes of climbing, and Trina dared herself to try and look down. "I can't believe you actually took a break to come out here." Her legs shook as she stood up and watched Jason approach the edge of the structure. Her heart stopped and her nerves shot up to strangle her. "Careful!"

"I'm fine." He motioned her over and opened his mouth in a laugh. "I come out here all the time. It's true, I do take breaks." Trina approached the edge and grabbed his arm so she wouldn't stumble and fall.

When she looked out and saw all the trees below them, she gasped and buried her head into his arm for a split second. "How the hell are we going to get down?"

"Same way we got up, descend slowly. Now, just take a deep breath and look out, you'll be fine. Nothing can happen." She moved her head from his arm and looked out at her surroundings. Her body began to tremble and she didn't feel very secure with simply holding onto his arm.

"This is going to sound weird." He raised an eyebrow and she turned her gaze up as the wind rattled across her face to give her the sensation of trying to force her off the edge. "Please don't make anything of this, just-hold on to me? I don't feel secure."

"Sure." He moved his arm around her waist and she did the same. "Let's take a step away from the edge too, if it makes you feel any better." She nodded and stepped back slowly. "Now, deep breath, and take it all in."

As she took a breath, her chest began to extend. All around them were trees that looked like a green sea. The sea led to the castle that fortified their campground, then spread around it, creating an island that reached into the skies.

She blew out as her hair and clothes flapped like a flag in the wind. "It's…so beautiful." She couldn't think about how far up she was, nor could she think about the troubles that had been plaguing her earlier in the day. "I-" Her voice shook and a fresh tear hung from her eyelash.

"Have you ever seen anything so amazing?"

"No. I mean, I've been high up and never bothered to look around." She always felt like the sky might open up and swallow her whole, or something would cause her to fall. "There's nothing to be afraid of up here, is there?"

"There isn't." She felt his arm fall from her waist, but didn't care. "It's something to respect as a danger, but it's not something to fear. If you trust your surroundings and trust yourself, you won't fall."

"Yeah, and I imagine you're not going to push me off or anything."

"Of course not." She turned to him and watched his hand rise to his chin. "Did you bring a camera with you, by any chance?" She had a camera in her pack back in her room but not here.

"Not on me."

Jason then removed the pack on his back and chuckled at her. "Fortunately I brought mine along." She rolled her eyes and smiled. Jason pulled a digital camera from the bag, moved backwards to the center of the rock and held it up. "Let me take a picture?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks and she lifted her hand to hold onto her hair so that the wind would not blow in front of her face. "Sure." She posed for the photo and smiled as he steadied the camera. Her hair spun around her index finger as she twirled it. _"Why am I acting like a schoolgirl? Stop it, Trina!"_

The camera made a clicking noise and she dropped her hand. She saw Jason lower the camera and study the photograph for several seconds. His mouth curved a bit and she leaned forward like she was trying to see the photo from where she was standing.

"What are you staring at over there?"

"The picture." He brought his hand to his chin and the left corner of his mouth fell, leaving a deep smirk on his face. "The way you look in here. It's nice." Her heart skipped a beat and the blush on her face intensified.

"Nice?"

"Different than you usually do." He brought his head up and handed her the camera. When she looked, she was astonished. She came across as relaxed, and maybe a little on the shy side, but it was a cute photograph. She walked around camp, mostly tense and ready to flip on anyone that said anything to her, primarily as a defense mechanism. In this, it was as though her guard was down.

"Wow I…" She stuttered and brought her hand to her chest. "I'm speechless, actually. I wasn't even trying to look like this. What do you do with these photographs? Do you have some place to develop them?"

"Dr. Wyatt has a computer in his office, we can print any and all photographs on it. Even burn photos on a CD."

"Could you do that?" She looked up at him and gave a smile. "I'd like a copy of this." He took the camera and nodded at her.

"Sure. Let's just take a few more and head down. Is that alright?"

"Yeah." As Jason started to fidget with the camera, Trina began to contemplate what good could come from a friendship with this man. She hoped they could be friends, because she didn't really any others besides Lindsay, and he was at least in California right now. "Hey um…" She bit her lower lip and twiddled her thumbs together.

"'Sup?"

"Do you think maybe…" He looked away from the camera and made eye contact as she approached him. This felt weird, as she never knew if she should or could even ask such a question. "I don't want to impose, I know it feels like I impose a lot on my sister's friends and they push me away, so maybe I should ask first but-" She stopped talking for a second to collect her thoughts as she didn't want to ramble on and annoy him. "I could use some more friends."

His right eyebrow rose, then he smiled at her. "You know." He reached out to her shoulder and she held her breath as a spark of electricity shot down her arm. "I would hope that I could call you a friend of mine." Her heart leapt and a state of bliss swept over her, crushing any lingering concerns that the day had brought.

"Sorry about your sister's friends. You know, you're a good person whether or not anyone realizes that. If they can't see that, then they don't deserve you in their lives."

"I…" When he turned back to work on the camera, she brought her hands to her face in an attempt to cool down the heat burning on her cheeks. Her eyes closed and her chest felt as though her heart were going to burst from it. "Thank you."

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><p>What better way to feel better than to experience the adrenaline rush of the great outdoors? Seems like Jason did well to comfort her, though it can't be easy with all that she's dealing with. I felt it would be a good idea for Jason not to try and pry and get her to talk about things, but rather comfort her and get her out of that room. What are your thoughts on all that happened in this chapter? Did you enjoy it, what parts did you like?<p> 


	13. Making a Trade

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 13 (Making a Trade)<p>

"Details." Trina opened her eyes suddenly and gasped out when the morning sun stabbed her eyes. Lindsay's tone was sharp and curious. "I demand details."

She rubbed her eyes and moaned at the girl; she expected to be able to sleep later on weekend mornings. "There are no details, Lindsay." Her eyes adjusted slowly and she turned her head up to see her friend standing with her hands at her hips and her right eyebrow pushing high into her brow. "What time is it?"

"Eight on Saturday." With how early they had been waking up, their bodies were naturally waking. Since Saturday and Sunday were free days, campers could sleep in if they wanted to, and Trina intended to take full advantage of that. Although she woke up at six, and then seven, and tried miserably to fall back asleep.

"Leave me alone, Lindsay." She grabbed her pillow and fell face forward on the mattress while swinging the pillow on the top of her head. She knew what it was Lindsay was fishing for, but she wasn't going to be biting.

All of a sudden the pillow flew away from her head. She lifted up her head and groaned at the girl. "You came in late last night and went straight to bed. Word is you and Jason went on a walk outside camp." Lindsay smirked and Trina rolled her eyes. Clearly, people took notice when the group leader left the campsite, but she hadn't expected the rumor mill to begin.

"Word is? Don't tell me people have been creating rumors."

"No one has, it's just a matter of 'look, Jason's heading out with a girl that looks like Trina.'" She dropped her arm off the bed and shrugged. Jason had her out most of the night, hiking through the wooded area and climbing up various other rock formations. Even now, her entire body was so sore that she could hardly move. "Was this the training session with Jason?"

"Part of it was. Basically, I felt like shit yesterday, and Jason made me feel better. Nothing happened." Lindsay sat beside her, glaring with suspicion. A sly grin spread across the girl's face and Trina let out a defeated groan. "Stop prying."

"Stop playing it off like you're only friends."

She stretched her arms out and furrowed her brow. "We _are_ only friends." Jason's friend was doing this same thing, and she didn't understand it. "Whatever chemistry you think you're seeing, I can almost assure you, it doesn't exist."

"Maybe the two of you think that, but I guarantee there are people that see something more."

"Yeah. Jenny thinks that."

"She's a bitch."

"I'm trying to think who's worse between her and Jade. Jenny's winning at the moment." She watched Lindsay smirk and started to chuckle herself; it was amusing to see her friend's reaction when she didn't know Jade enough to make the comparison.

"Let's see what I understand about this Jade girl." Lindsay stood up and walked to the center of the room. Her hands spread apart and her eyebrows rose sharply. "You said she got into it with your sister because she thought your sister was hitting on her boyfriend." Trina grasped the edge of the bed and leaned her upper body forward.

"Yeah."

"Jenny's upset with you because she thinks that you're into her ex-boyfriend, and she wants him back." Trina pushed off the bed and started to the bedroom door, listening to Lindsay with slight interest. "Jade has more reason to be upset with Tori. Unless of course, you do plan on dating Jason."

"I don't." She grabbed her toothpaste off the counter and studied herself in the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes and her shoulders were slouching. She let out a long yawn and shook her head. "God I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"You don't say." She rolled her eyes once more and turned to the shower as Lindsay approached her. "So what do you want to do today? I guess you don't want to talk about Jason right now." It was good of Lindsay to finally give up, but then, she had a feeling her friend wouldn't forget this subject. "Friends now, right, you and he?"

Trina turned on the hot water and watched as the water fell from the head like rain. "Yes." Her eyes closed over and she inhaled slowly. "Oh, and Lindsay?"

Her lips curved into a smirk and her eyes opened to view Lindsay in the mirror. Lindsay was busy making the beds and seemed to be focused on straightening the pillow case. "What?"

"I hope you're okay with hanging out with him at lunch, because I suggested we get together." The pillow fell from Lindsay's hands and landed with a small bounce on the ground.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, it's simple." Trina removed her nightgown and hung it on the hanger attached to the door. "He's considering a few requests to transfer the horror-"

"Jenny?"

"Yep." She reached around the latch on the back of her bra, then turned her eyes to the steam rising from the shower. "He is transferring her to another group, but he has to exchange with someone else." Lindsay was a candidate since Trina asked, but she wanted Jason to actually have some time to talk to the girl.

"She won't be happy with that."

Trina turned her back to the mirror and looked over her shoulder for a better view of the latch on her bra. "Nope." She removed the bra with a sigh and tossed it out the door. "Toss this on my bed, would you?" She extended her hand into the shower and dropped her shoulders as Lindsay cried out suddenly.

"Thirty-four B! What the hell?" Her eyebrow rose and her cheeks grew red. It didn't seem so long ago that they often talked about things that a lot of preteen girls talked about, and those things were so trivial now. Evidently, it still mattered to Lindsay. "I knew I was flatter than you, but I didn't think you were that much larger."

Trina cleared her throat and tried to ignore the uncomfortable sensation this gave her. "I um, eat a lot of meat? Does that make a difference?" Normally this would be just a typical conversation between the two of them, but not after all this time.

"Estrogen affects the hips and curves." She looked down at her hips and responded with a nonchalant shrug and grunt. "Whatever. It's not important. Clean up and let's do lunch…" She listened to her friend's muttering, smiled, then stepped into the scorching water with a content sigh.

After finishing with their morning routine they met up with Jason and Travis in the back of the cafeteria. While Jason was wearing a white shirt tucked into his denim jeans, Travis was wearing a more western style outfit; a red button-up shirt, khaki pants, and a brown cowboy hat.

"Who's that guy?" Lindsay asked before making her approach. Trina's lips slid into a smile and let her eyes drift to the two men. Jason waved at her and Travis seemed to focus his attention on Lindsay. The man's eyebrows rose up beneath his hat, and his hands slid over his knees.

"That would be Jason's friend, Travis."

"Why is he here? I thought you just wanted me to talk to Jason."

"Yeah." Her expression grew smug and she walked ahead of her friend. "That's what we want." She and Jason had some time to talk about Travis and Lindsay during their adventure the night before, and they felt their friends had several things in common.

This included family in California that both friends were considering moving to. Travis would have to move his little brother to live with an uncle of theirs so that he could attend a college nearby. He also wanted to spend more time with his friend.

Lindsay, of course, had her father. It was a struggle getting Lindsay to come to terms with giving the man a chance, but maybe she'd feel more comfortable if she struck up a friendship with this guy.

Trina sat on Jason's right, leaving Lindsay forced to sit on Travis's left. "You're late," Jason smirked, "We've been sitting here for about fifteen minutes now." She smacked him on the shoulder and he brought his hand up to the contact point with a laugh.

"Deal with it. We take pride in looking good even during off days." Her eyes met his, then she averted her gaze upon feeling a flicker in her heart. She stared down at her nails, tapping them slowly on the table. "So you've met Lindsay, briefly."

Jason sat upright and waved once while mustering up a polite smile. "We've met." Lindsay folded her hands together on the table and smiled back at him, with recognition glinting in her eyes. "Which reminds me, are you still talking in your sleep?"

Trina's smile dropped to a scowl and she felt an insatiable urge to smack the smugness off his face. "It's a nervous habit." She straightened her posture in an attempt to maintain her grace. "You should be happy I didn't kick your ass for trying to carry me to the shower." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and Jason laughed.

"I'm fairly acquainted with danger. I can defend myself, hence I had no need to worry." She raised an eyebrow at him and curled up the corner of her lip. His right hand curled a bit and his eyes appeared to float over to Lindsay. "Down to business. Would you be willing to transfer to our group in exchange for Jenny?"

"You waste no time," Lindsay chuckled. It was a nice trait to see in someone; bluntness and directness was something that attracted Trina to a person. "But Jenny's a bitch. I'd hate to subject my group to her, but I don't like that Trina's dealing with her."

"Me either." Trina parted her lips and watched him look briskly at her. She drew in and held her breath as his gaze sank. "She seems adamant against the idea of moving Jenny for her sake."

Travis removed his hat and dropped it to his lap with a heavy sigh. "Too many people want her out after that last class." She leaned sideways a bit and cast a concerned look onto the man. Travis turned his eyes up to her and shrugged. "When you left, some of the others in the group started complaining about how Jenny was causing all this trouble and keeping them from being able to do anything in the class."

Jason slid his hand slowly through his hair and closed his eyes. "I want her gone myself." Trina reached over and gently ran her hand in a circular motion on his shoulder. His eyelids opened partially and he pulled his hand back slightly while making contact with her gaze. She smiled at him, hoping to comfort him.

She was delighted to see a smile appear on his face. "Then if you don't want her in the group, you shouldn't force yourself."

"You don't understand," Travis interrupted. The man smirked at his friend and smacked Jason on the shoulder, causing him to flinch. "Jason is too proud to force his ex on other people when he can deal with ignoring her on his own." Trina pulled her hand from her perch and shrugged.

"Maybe putting your own concerns first at some times is okay." She hunched forward and clasped her hands together on the table. "Sometimes thinking about others is important, and sometimes putting yourself first is best." He leaned back and crossed his arms. His nostrils opened and his shoulders lowered an inch. "If your ex-girlfriend is causing you too much stress, be done with her."

"I'd send her home if I could." Jason's eyes darted to the door and his mouth twisted into a scowl. "But that would be abusing my power by sending someone home that technically hasn't broken any of the camp regulations-and of course she won't."

He grabbed his drinking glass and brought it to his lips with a grunt. "Every year she shows up and all she does is obsess over me." He lowered as his glass and took a prolonged look at the lip. "This may be the last camp trip I do."

"You're just going to let Jenny ruin something that you enjoy?" She pursed her lips at him and glanced over when Travis scoffed.

"It's not just Jenny that's making him decide that." Jason nodded and Travis path the man's shoulder. "It's been a long time coming." Her head reclined and she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Jason raised up his hand and furrowed his brow. "It isn't that I don't enjoy it anymore, it's that I just don't have the time to give. Plus, I'd like to help look after my mother and my uncle." She scrunched her nose. It was hard to imagine Mr. Sikowitz needing someone to look after him, but she didn't know what the situation was back home, and she wasn't going to ask.

"Anyway." He cleared his throat and motioned at Lindsay. "Are you willing to switch groups?" She mouthed for her friend to say yes, but mostly out of an eagerness to have the girl in her group. Lindsay smiled back and shrugged.

"I _suppose_ I could. I've become so close to my group." Trina's jaw dropped at the playful tone in Lindsay's response. She watched Jason's eyebrow rise and quickly shut her mouth when he looked at her. "Of course I will."

"Well, we're happy to have you," Travis replied. Lindsay bent her arms on the table and nodded in his direction. When Trina glanced at him, she could see him focusing on Lindsay's wrist; his brow was furrowed and the corners of his mouth were pushing beneath his cheeks.

When she looked, Lindsay's wristband had slipped down a little to reveal the scar beneath it. Her heart stopped and her hand moved over her mouth. She wanted to point it out, but was afraid of embarrassing the girl.

Instead, Travis reached forward and pointed out the symbol on the bracelet by tugging it up and back. "You like the Dallas Cowboys, Lindsay?" He smiled at her and Lindsay's eyes shot down to her wristband. She pulled her arm back a bit and glanced back to Travis.

"Yeah, I do." The only thing that changed in Lindsay was her lips curving to a smile; she did not notice the obvious attempt to recover the scar. The gesture was relief to Trina, who thought for sure Lindsay would be horrified that someone could have seen the scar. "You watch them?"

"Yep. Tony Romo's my guy." Travis stood from the seat and pointed at Jason. "Jason gets annoyed talking about the Cowboys, would you like to grab another table? It's nice to find someone who likes them as much as I do." Lindsay's smile grew and she looked at Trina as if searching for approval.

She nodded to her friend and watched Lindsay get up and leave with Travis. They took a seat at an empty table across the cafeteria, and immediately began talking. Lindsay was pointing at her wristband and laughing about something, and Travis was smiling at her and every few seconds he would chuckle at something she was saying.

"That's so nice." Trina blew out sharply and cleared away the roughness in her throat. Her eyes flow over to Jason and she started to smile as he took another drink from his glass. "You don't like the Dallas Cowboys?" Her fingers curled and pressed into her palms. "Are you into football at all?"

Football was a big thing at the Vega home, and while Trina wasn't a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, she still thought they did a decent job.

Jason lowered his glass and shrugged. "Of course. The Cowboys haven't done well in ages." She uncurled her hands, hummed for a second, then furrowed her brow at him.

"You grew up in Texas. No love for your home team?"

Jason slung his right elbow over the top of his chair and twisted towards her. "My father was from Texas." Her smile faded as she watched the tension that overtook his body. "Not me. My mother and my uncle grew up in California, and as far as I'm concerned, California is my home."

His voice was heavy and had fallen to a degree of deepness that struck her with great concern. "Jason, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"What?" She paused and a smile flickered on his face. "You didn't do anything wrong." As his muscles relaxed, Trina exhaled slowly and looked down at the table. There was a streak of anger in his eyes, but they weren't directed at her. She recognized the look he had, though, because it was one she'd seen staring back at her in the mirror every day for the last few years.

Trina turned her gaze into his and waited as the skin around his eyes loosened back into a more relaxed state. "You don't have a good relationship with your dad?" His chest started to expand, then sank when his nostrils spread apart. "If I brought something up you don't want to talk about, you don't have to."

"No. You're fine." His forehead creased and he dropped his arm from the chair. "He was a drunk." He put his hand on the table and let his shoulders fall into steep slopes. "There's really not much more to say than that, much more I don't feel like going into."

"I understand." She swept her hair over her ear and bit down on her lower lip while struggling to think of a response. "You know…I don't have a very good relationship with my dad either."

"Really?" His eyebrows rose, then slid together like two long trains colliding. "You talk about him like you have a good relationship."

"Well, we had one before he got promoted. After that, he just stopped doing things with us." She quieted herself and closed her eyes as the memory of her formerly good relationship plagued her mind.

The tension in her chest grew with each second of silence that passed, finally subsiding when Jason spoke again. "What does he do for a living?" Her eyes flew open and she turned her head to him.

"He's a detective. He works homicide."

"Wow. That takes up a lot of his time?" It meant David needed to be on call both day and night. If he got a call at three in the morning, he would have to go down to some crime scene.

"It does. I can't imagine that means he doesn't need to try and spend time with his family, though."

"He should try to. My uncle knows some people in that line of work, they all make time for their families." Jason reached over and pat her on the back. His smile soothed the ache in her chest and drew a smile back to her face. "Give him some time. If he cares about his family, he'll come to his senses. I can't imagine someone that cares about their family would just stay away from them—I'm sure he has his reasons."

"Yeah, stress maybe." Whatever the case may be, Tori's letters gave her some hope that her dad was beginning to come around. "Anyway…" She inhaled slowly and looked at Lindsay and Travis with an eager heart. "We've got Lindsay, but Jenny won't be happy."

"Too damn bad." Trina laughed and looked over to see a smirk on his face. "I still need to talk to her group leader about the change, but I doubt that will be an issue."

"Right, and I'm happy with the turnout." She laced her fingers together and held them up as a flat perch for her chin. She watched with pride as Lindsay and Travis continued their conversation. "Lindsay looks happy too. I wonder what they're talking about; I've never seen her so entertained."

"Travis is an interesting guy, he could make a story about grass growing entertaining." Jason leaned back slowly and pat her arm. "Hey, what do you say we get out of here?" In an instant the air was swept away from her and she held onto the last breath of air in her lungs.

"You mean?"

"Just a friendly hike through the woods out there." Her heart leapt up and she could feel a pleasant sensation swelling within. Her lips curved excitedly and her body leaned slightly towards him. "I've got a little bit of downtime, and besides, you're right about one thing."

She moved back a bit and raised an eyebrow at him. "Right about what?"

"Something you said the other day: I should take some time to stop working once in a while." This was true, and it felt nice to be acknowledged once in a while as having been right about anything at all.

"Okay." Her smile grew and she stood from the chair. "It's nice to get out and away from all this once in a while." Spending some time with him was an added bonus as well, since his was a friendship she valued.

* * *

><p>Friendship, sure, one that appears to be evolving. What are your thoughts on the chapter? Looks like we have the secondary couple in formation as well. Jenny won't be happy about being switched over, and such, she'll still pose an issue. She is the antagonistic force, after all. Trina seems to be doing better though, she's definitely growing into herself as someone once said.l<p> 


	14. Gaining Notice

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 14 (Gaining Notice)<p>

A lucid air surrounded Jason as Trina watched him practice a martial arts formation. The sky was a brilliant orange color and the ground was level beneath his white tennis shoes. His right leg was bent in front of him and his left leg had slid behind him.

As she scanned up his body, she was enthralled by his strong and commanding figure. In his right hand he held the handle of a sword, and his left arm was extended towards the blade. His left hand was positioned flat on the blunt side of the blade.

When he moved, his chest muscles squeezed together and his biceps a contracted as his head turned towards her. His movements were slow and all time started to cease as his sharp gaze fell into hers.

Trina's breathing grew labored and her body temperature began to rise to dangerous levels. "Trina." His voice could command the mountains to move, and surely he could cause her world to tremble. "Trina." His lips remained shut and in the position of that warm smirk she loved to see, and while she could hear him speaking to her, that tender smile never once budged.

"Jason?" Beneath her feet the ground started to crumble away and her body was slowly sinking. When she looked down, she saw the hole. "N-No!"

Her eyes flew open and she let out a scream as her body collided with the floor beside her bed. She groaned out and looked up to see Lindsay standing with her hands on her hips. "Dang it Trina, I've been trying to wake you up for the last ten minutes. Too busy dreaming about Jason to get up?"

She sat upright and pressed her back against the bed. "Dreaming?" Her heart stopped as the blood rushed to her cheeks. "I wasn't dreaming about him. I don't know what you're talking about." She scratched behind her head and saw her friend's eyes roll.

"Uh huh." Lindsay tossed Trina's _gi_ into her lap and shook her head. "We're going to be late. I swear, I don't know how on earth you end up on time or early."

"I eat breakfast quickly?" She was looking for anything she could use to throw Lindsay off this track she was on, but the girl's annoyed expression said she wasn't buying it. "So, I'll get up."

She wasn't exactly sure why Jason appeared in a dream, or why she suddenly felt any amount of arousal over it, but every hormone in her body was acting as though it were on fire.

Her stomach was also cramping up a storm, and she could feel something on her leg that gave her an unpleasant realization.

As her hands moved to her stomach, she saw her friend already in the bathroom. "Lindsay?" The girl poked her head out and her eyes fell down to Trina's hands. "In the medicine cabinet above the sink." She winced as the cramping in her stomach grew worse.

These weeks were sometimes hell for her, so she could only pray this week wouldn't be terrible.

Lindsay's eyes widened and she interrupted before Trina could finish. "On it." She rolled her eyes and looked out the door, thinking to herself that it was a good thing that Jenny wouldn't be in her group anymore.

She entered class with confidence, ready to take on the world and anyone that dared to mess with her. Lindsay followed close behind and was keeping an eye on her, since she was already starting to feel a little moody.

As some of the people in her group greeted her, she responded back with a polite smile. It was nice to be recognized, and for once, not turned away. Travis approached them, though his focus was on Lindsay. "Lindsay, you doing alright?" The girl nodded and waved at him. "Good, I'm glad. I was just telling some of the others, I think we're going to like having you here instead of Jenny."

"I hope so," Lindsay replied, "Can't say I envy my last group though. Now they have to deal with the witch."

She heard a scoff and glanced over to see Eric waving his hand dismissively. "It is what it is, no one wanted her around. Not after the last meeting." He walked up and nodded to Trina. "How are you, by the way? A few of us were talking, we didn't know if Jenny upset you too much or not."

"No she didn't." She was gracious for his concern, especially after the crap that went down during the last class. "I just needed some time to myself."

"Yeah." He snapped his fingers and grinned openly. "A lot of us saw you leaving camp with Jason. Can I ask?" She gave him a smug look and crossed her arms.

"It was just a friendly hike in the woods, and a little bit of rock climbing. Nothing more." She expected rumors, but hoped they could be diffused before they begun. "I'd appreciate you leaving it at that. Especially with that woman running around…"

His lips flattened and he shook his head. "Jenny's nuts, you could do nothing more than say 'hi' to Jason and she'd still consider you a threat." There had to be some reason Jenny was the way she was, but Trina wasn't sure she wanted to make a big deal out of it.

At least not now; she simply didn't care. Her eyes scanned the area, to see who she could spot. Lindsay and Travis were now off to the side, talking amongst themselves, and some of the other group members were idling by the wall.

Then in the corner at his desk, Jason was standing with his hands behind his back. He looked almost like he was positioned in the form of an arrow, with his legs spread and his back straight. His eyes watched the clock, waiting as they so often did for the start of the class.

Trina excused herself and walked towards Jason, ready to pull him away from his strict schedule and eager to talk to him. "Jason." He turned his eyes to her and curled his lips into a smile. The second his eyes fell into hers, she was struck by an intense heat that had her near paralyzed on the spot.

She blew out a heavy breath and continued to him while cursing her hormones. "Trina. Did you sleep well?" She chuckled nervously and partially sat on the corner of the desk. Her right leg extended and rolled partially on the surface while her left hung off and nearly touched the floor.

"I did." She curled her hair over her left ear and looked out at the class. Seeing them from the desk had a different feeling, but she couldn't quite make it out. "So…Mr. Sikowitz is a teacher, do you like teaching?"

"Leading something, sure, I can do that." He shrugged and pulled his arms from behind his back. His gaze drifted to the rest of the group and his smile faded for a moment. "I don't consider myself a teacher here, just so you know."

"No?"

"Group leader, and I'm in charge of the others. While I do teach, I think I consider myself more of just a leader while equal to everyone else." She moved her lips to a circle and hummed to herself.

She brought her left hand down to her left knee and grasped it gently with her fingertips. "Oh." Her chest expanded and she drew in a heavy breath while watching a couple students practice sparring with one another. "You don't want to teach, then?"

"I see myself being a fitness instructor, but I'd prefer being something more of a personal trainer or a nutritionist. I don't see myself teaching like my uncle does."

"I guess we're not all that we seem at first."

"No. No we're not." She could feel his eyes on her and was certain he was smiling. When she turned to look, he turned his head away. Her lips parted, then closed and slid into a tiny smile. "You walked in with that dress the first day, it was loud in color and I think a lot of people just thought it made you look like you'd be a diva."

"Thank you, by the way."

"For?"

Her fingers tightened around her knee and she bowed her head. "Being a friend." She moved her hands up to the ponytail sweeping over her right shoulder and gently slid her hands down it as if to be grooming it. "Giving me a chance."

Jason laughed once and shook his head. "I never judge a person off of when I first see them. It's not my style."

"You could have been right." She visualized herself in two forms, standing in the center of the room. They were side by side. On the left was the diva, with her long hair flowing around her shoulders like a brown waterfall, and wearing a long bell-shaped dress while holding on to a designer purse. Everything about her was bright and in loud colors like red and gold.

While on the right she stood in her purple _gi_. Her legs were spread apart and her wrists were locked on the small of her back. She had a ponytail that swept around the right side of her neck and pointed down the middle of her chest, and her head was turned to give a focused glare on the girl beside her.

"I'm calmer, and less inclined to try and force people to notice me. I don't see anything wrong with dressing up in nice outfits, or even carrying around a designer purse, but…maybe everyone's right." She lifted her head and closed her eyes. "I don't know what I want to be, I don't know who I want to be. I don't know what I am."

"Strong." She turned her head over her shoulder and the corners of her mouth dug into her cheeks as Jason seemed to look past her. "I see someone that's strong, confident, and trying to find her place in the world. I see someone who doesn't _need_ someone else to make her happy, you can find your own way without being dependent on others."

"You think so? I don't know if that's what I see…"

Jason looked at her with soft eyes and a charming, warm smile that seemed to draw her closer to him. She could almost feel herself moving towards him and had to stop just to make sure she wasn't.

"I think you've been through some things, and there are people who have let you down or hurt you, so you're not sure what to do. I think you can pick yourself up, stand up for yourself, and find your way. You just have to trust yourself. I think you've shown that you can be strong, confident and independent if you want to be."

"I guess." It was easier to do that when no one knew her and when she could control how people were perceiving her. "I could try to be confident, to be more assertive." She moved her hands to the edge of the desk and curled her fingers over it, grasping it firmly and tensing her arms.

"Before, like at Hollywood Arts, I wanted to make a scene. I would make an entrance just to get people to notice me." As her hands started to tremble, she felt a sudden urge to cry. Trina had to grit her teeth just to hold the tears back, but it was a struggle. "I wanted friends, and I was scared that if I didn't make a grand scene of some sort…but even still no one ever noticed me."

Jason extended his hand, motioning to those in the area. "You didn't have to make a grand scene, and everyone here notices you."

She laughed and protested with her disbelief. "I think people only noticed two things." She held up two fingers and raised an eyebrow at him. "One, I'm talking to _you_, and two, your crazy ex-girlfriend hates me because she thinks I'm a threat."

"People notice you in the group activities. They notice you when you're working out and being yourself, and well…" He started to walk around the desk and leaned slightly towards her while moving past her. "I notice you, and I like what I see."

The blood rushed to her cheeks and her jaw fell open. Jason moved in front of everybody and called out, ready to start the day's lesson. She recovered and jumped off the desk. _"What the hell does that even mean?"_

"Come on now." Jason smirked as she started to move past him. Her heart skipped several beats and she looked at him with a nervous sweat forming around her collarbone. "Let's start today's lesson."

Trina took her place and struggled to hold back the goofy grin that was stretching across her blushing face. _"God this is embarrassing. I hope he doesn't see."_ Unfortunately, he was looking right at her. The minute their eyes connected, his attractive smirk increased to the point she found herself wanting to kiss him.

This wasn't allowed in her world, and whatever desires she felt had to be ignored. They'd failed her so many times that she just wasn't going to let the monster that was attraction tempt her into pushing somebody else out of her life.

It was almost never mutual. She may not know exactly what she wanted out of life, but there was one thing she knew of herself from her experiences: She wasn't likeable. Friendships were possible, but she wasn't attractive in the slightest. Not in her mind.

No one wanted to be with her, and the more she pursued potential relationships, the more she wound up hurt and running someone off.

_"I'm tired of losing people that I want to keep. Tired of taking risks, tired of getting hurt in the process."_ She closed her eyes and took in a slow breath of air while listening to Jason going through the events of the day. It was enough to keep her focused, and that was all she needed.

* * *

><p>Your thoughts on the events here? It looks like Jason's also beginning to show his attraction to her. We'll be getting to the relationship discussion soon, but there's a catalyst that must happen to allow these two to actually act on what they've been feeling.<p> 


	15. Locked Hearts

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 15 (Locked Hearts)<p>

"He's so sweet." Trina rolled her eyes while exercising on the pull-up bar; Lindsay was gushing about the time she'd been spending with Travis lately. The girl had been going on about how much they had in common that Trina knew near every line as if it were all a part of a script.

Lindsay and Travis enjoyed football, primarily the Dallas Cowboys. Lindsay and Travis enjoyed _Walker: Texas Ranger_, and so much more. She found it a welcome relief from the girl trying to grill her about the time she'd been spending with Jason. Friendly ventures into the woods and conversations about mutual interests were simply that and nothing more, but neither Lindsay or her new crush seemed to think so.

According to Jason, Travis was also pressuring him. "What did the two of you do after dinner last night?" She asked. Lindsay disappeared with Travis for a time, and when she returned to the room that night, she was glowing.

Lindsay's cheeks turned red and she lowered her hands together behind her back. "We went up on the battlements and sat for a while, just looking at the stars." Trina clenched her teeth and pulled her chin above the bar with a grunt. While doing so, she lifted her knees up towards her chest and puffed her cheeks when she was ready to lower herself.

"I still can't go up there. I've been rock climbing, yet I still can't do the battlements." She dropped herself to the ground and yanked a white towel from the chair nearby. Her eyes drifted to Lindsay and a smirk grew on her face. "So you and Travis had a good time last night, then. Is it my turn to start teasing you?" Lindsay's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head.

"No, but then I'll acknowledge that I like him." Her friend smirked back and Trina rolled her eyes. She wiped away the sweat on her chest and peered down at the white tank she was wearing; it was one of Lindsay's and was a tad small for her. There was a mishap with the one she was wearing before, and Lindsay simply threw one of her shirts over.

Currently the shirt was clinging tightly to her body and frame, which she wasn't thrilled about. "Glad you like Travis, Lindsay. Maybe now you'll leave things alone with me and Jason? There's nothing there. He'll never be attracted to someone like me, and I'm certainly not putting myself out there."

"Trina-"

"Please." She walked out of the room with Lindsay sighing behind her. As they turned the corner, they spotted Travis and Jason walking by. Both were clad in white t-shirts and long workout pants, and of course, Travis was wearing his brown cowboy hat. "Hey guys."

The two looked over and the second Jason spotted her, his cheeks reddened. He cleared his throat and waved. "Trina, Lindsay, getting a workout done I see." The corners of his mouth slid up into a smooth smile, drawing her eyes towards it. She took a deep and slow breath, watching his lips move but hearing no words come out.

"Trina?" She fell out of her trance and smiled back at him, realizing he must have said something important. "You played well in today's soccer game."

"Thanks Jason." Her cheeks turned a shade of pink and she turned away slightly. Her forefingers tangled in front of her waist and her eyelids closed. Jason excused himself before leaving to the restroom, then Travis walked a few paces away with Lindsay.

"Did he just blush?" She heard Travis ask. Lindsay started to laugh. Trina raised an eyebrow and looked towards them with growing curiosity. She didn't normally like to listen in to someone else's conversation, but she couldn't help but to hear what Lindsay and Travis might say about the two of them.

"Everyone thinks they're together, but she's guarding herself. I can tell." She crossed her arms and turned her eyes to the restroom. Of course she was guarding herself; she couldn't trust herself with a guy much less trust a guy with her heart. "Jason's doing the same, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Absolutely refuses to talk about it." She didn't mind when Lindsay and Travis talked about them. The two were their best friends, so it was understood that this was going to happen. Hell, she and Jason talked about the two of them.

It was the people who didn't know them well that bothered her; and half of the camp was talking about the possibility of some imaginary romance between her and Jason.

The bathroom door opened and her pulse began to quicken. Her fingers curled into her palm and she bit down on her lower lip. When someone else stepped out, she looked away, disheartened. Then Jason followed a short time later, calling out to them and taking her by surprise.

"Sorry about that."

Travis looked over and shook his head. "Bout time, you've been complaining for the last hour about the di-" Jason cried out and waved his hands in the air, causing Travis to quiet down. It was as though he didn't want Trina hearing about possible bowel issues. Her mouth slid into a sly smirk and her eyes slanted at the man.

"Haven't been feeling well lately." He ran his hand behind his head and shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm doing better."

"That's good," she replied, "I want your help with something." He raised a brow and she turned towards him. "I've been working on this exercise routine with some of the equipment here, maybe you could show me if I've got the form right?" He folded his arms and twisted his mouth into a knowing smirk.

She liked when his hands were on her body. She couldn't explain it, but something about the sensation left by his fingers caressing her called out to her and made her crave more of his touch.

"You know how to use the equipment here, Trina." She pulled her ponytail out from beneath the back of her tank top, then shrugged at him. "Do you really need help?"

"Well, it's the form. That's all." She pointed to their friends and smirked. "Besides, I say we let these two lovebirds have some alone time." He looked at the two and laughed.

"Right, they could use some time alone. I agree." Travis and Lindsay raised their eyebrows and exchanged astonished looks. Jason placed his hand on her upper back and flashed a confident smile. "Let's go."

He led her to a workout machine, more specifically the leg press. "Okay, so here's the problem I'm having with this." She swept her hair over her ear and took a seat as he crouched down beside her.

She grasped the handlebars beside the seat and put her feet up to the metal plate. Jason ran a finger over his chin while studying her placement. Trina had positioned her feet against one another, and knew the plate was too far from the seat.

"Well here's the problem." She studied him closely and watched as he pulled the pin from the metal holder. In an instant the plate started to rush forward, so she let out a yelp-despite being able to push it back on her own-and gasped when he lunged over and reached out to stop the plate in the palm of his hand.

Her breath held in her throat, swirling into a lump as his eyes connected with hers. "Next time warn me," she said breathlessly. Her lower lip tucked beneath her side teeth and her eyes drifted to the part in his lips.

His hot, minty breath flowed onto her face and drew her blood towards the surface of her skin. "Sorry." She spread her feet apart a bit, then pushed the plate back. Her shoulders rose as his hand lowered to her abdomen. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Jason's body was inches above hers, his chest almost brushed against her own. His calm and soothing eyes held a strength that commanded her attention but a passion that asked for something more.

She could see the sweat trickling down from the side of his face and clinging to his chin, while some droplets hugged the tip of his warm lips.

Trina swallowed the hard lump in her throat and smiled through her trembling lips. "You didn't." Her heart was beginning to race and her eyebrows and were closing together. She found herself rising, blushing when her chest compressed against his. "My-" Catching herself, she dropped back to the bench and peered down at the plate. "Are my legs in the right position for this?" He looked down her legs and moved his hand just beneath her right leg.

"Push this one up a little towards the center of the plate." She did as instructed and moved her left leg parallel with the others. Her lips pressed tight as his fingers gripped the cloth of her pants and tugged. "Spread them out a little more."

"Okay."

"Now, you want to be able to have your knees bent at a right angle when this is resting idly. Push straight out, then let it come down to you. Keep your body straight."

Her normal leg strength was powerful enough; she could push nearly two hundred pounds on her legs. Seeing as how it might impress him a little, she put the weight at that amount and proceeded to use the machine.

Jason chuckled softly and brought his hand to her forearm, heating the blood in the area of his contact. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I guess." She took a deep breath and pushed the plate out to its full reach. "I'm just full of surprises."

It was not long before Jason moved to one of the benches nearby to work with the dumbbells. She brought the metal plate to rest and watched as he looked at his right bicep. With each curl, his bicep bulged, tensing as he brought his arm in then loosening when he released.

Her tongue swept across her mouth and she turned her head away, scolding herself for such action. After a minute she got up and walked up behind him. "Jason. I've been meaning to ask about something." She took a deep breath and held it as he looked at her.

The question had been on her mind for long enough that she thought they were friendly enough she could ask, but she was still afraid of getting too close to a subject he might not want to discuss. "Go ahead and ask. What's up?"

"Well, a while back when you were working out one day, I kind of saw the scars on your body."

He pulled the dumbbell up to his chest and his expression didn't change, which stunned her. "Okay." She pursed her lips and sat beside him. "I figured you might have seen them." Trina slid her hands over her knees and leaned her body forward.

"Oh." She ran her hand along her upper arm and furrowed her brow at him. "I wanted to respect your privacy, but I'm curious what happened to you." Her hands slipped away from her knees and onto the edge of the bench where her fingers gripped firmly. "I don't mean to pry into something you don't want to talk about."

Jason lowered the dumbbell to the ground and turned to her, smiling slightly. "It's okay. The scars are from my father." She made a quick gasp and pulled her hand up to her mouth, keeping just her first two fingers brushing over her lips. "I grew up with an abusive drunk of a dad, he liked to hit my mother at the slightest provocation. If I got in the way, which I did several times, he'd lash out at me."

"God, I…" She pulled her hand away and drew out a long exhale. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't-" He brought up a hand and held his pleasant smile. She would not pry any longer if he didn't want to talk about it. "It was bothering me, that's all. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Besides, I haven't seen my dad in god knows how long." He grabbed a towel from beside him and slung it around his neck. "I started learning how to defend myself from an early age. I could block his blows, kept him from hurting my mother and made sure to look after her and after Uncle Erwin too. When he saw he couldn't hurt us anymore, he left."

She reached her hand out to him, sliding it along his back. His back muscles tensed momentarily at the touch, then relaxed. "Forgive me, I asked Travis." Jason pulled his lips back into a line and he turned to gaze at her. "He said he wouldn't tell me anything that you didn't want him to, but he did say Jenny might have caused one of those scars."

His hand rose towards his right chest and the corners of his mouth sank. "She did." Her heart stopped and her eyes flew to where his hand was. "It was when I broke up with her, she threw something at me. It wasn't deep, but it left a mark."

Jason rose from the bench and Trina dropped her hand down to her leg. "Let's get a smoothie," she suggested with a soft tone. Her heartbeat was pulsating and her eyes had grown misty. She couldn't bring herself to think of the horror he must have gone through with his father and then with Jenny, but she was glad he was out of that situation.

Suddenly a hand appeared before her and she looked up to see him smiling down at her. "Sure," he said. Her heart swelled within her chest as she placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet.

Right now she was grateful for one thing: Jenny wasn't at the campgrounds. She was angry at the girl for having ever hurt Jason in any way and didn't want to have to deal with her.

Occasionally Jenny would leave the campsite, and nobody knew what she was doing. Jason said it was usual for her to disappear, she'd done so for a few years and always thought she was just scouting out the woods.

It wasn't as though she had anywhere else to go. Although they were secluded, they weren't alone in these woods. Jason informed them that if they go far enough to the other side of the woods, they'd run into another camp site.

This was a site for recovering drug addicts. Counselors and staff that worked there would sometimes stay for months at a time. Trina didn't want to go that far, because it reminded her of Ross, who had been in a drug fueled state of mind when he tried to hurt her those years ago.

And people like him were just part of the reason she kept her heart locked so tight as Lindsay and Travis discussed. Maybe people like Jenny were the reason that Jason's was as well.

Flirting was nice, and the two of them understood it was flirting, but Trina did have to stop herself at some point. Any closer and she'd have to open herself, and just the thought of doing that terrified her.

* * *

><p>Flirting is comfortable and safe, sure, but it's not necessarily helpful keeping yourself so guarded as both of them do. A nice moment on the leg press there, wouldn't you say? Well, a relationship is close to starting and shall in a couple chapters here, but there's still a lot of growth needed even after that. What's going through your mind after this chapter? Anything catch your eye?<p> 


	16. Heartfelt Concerns

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 16 (Heartfelt Concerns)<p>

Trina was guided up the stairs of the tower into Jason's office on the top of the walls, and she swore to herself she was not looking out the window. The receiver of a phone was laying sideways on the desk. "I keep a phone in my office as an emergency line, so that Uncle Erwin or mom can contact me if they absolutely need to."

Jason put his hands behind his waist and sighed as Trina approached the call. He looked annoyed and she understood why, somehow Tori managed to find the emergency contact number for Jason, and wanted to talk to her sister. "So you broke the rules and didn't hang up?" She smirked at him and he exhaled sharply.

"For you?" His hand pointed to the phone and he flashed a smirk. "I'll break my own rules just once." Trina laughed and picked up the receiver. It weighed heavily in her hand, and drew her eyes to stare for a long second. "Your sister seemed adamant about wanting to talk to you, so…"

"Yeah." She brought the phone to her ear and smiled gently. "Tori?"

"Trina, hi!" Her sister's voice brought a fresh set of tears to her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as she turned to see Jason step outside. It was out of respect of her privacy that he did so. "I had to twist Mr. Sikowitz's arm a little for the number butI got it. I just really wanted to hear your voice. I've missed you."

"I missed you too. How is everyone?" She sat down in Jason's chair and was startled by a comforting sensation enter into her body. It was warm and felt as though Jason were giving her a hug. She shifted herself in the chair and hummed. "Jason must do a lot of work here…"

"What?"

"Oh nothing, Jason has a very comfortable chair." She moved her body towards the desk and bent her arm at an upwards angle to rest her hand beneath her chin. "Lindsay's right, I'm attracted to the man." She closed her eyes and exhaled as her sister laughed. "But nothing's going to come of it."

"Why not? If you like this guy."

"It's hard to explain." Her left arm stretched across the desk and her eyes drifted to the papers on the desk. Her lips turned up when she saw a letter from Jason's uncle, telling him that everything was fine with him and with his mother. "What's going on with your friends? Your last letter was a little cryptic."

"They're still fighting with each other." Tori's voice faltered and Trina frowned. "I've been trying to fix it, hell even Ian's been trying to help." Her eyebrows rose and Tori stopped suddenly.

Trina knew Ian was still involved with the family, but she didn't think Tori talked much with him anymore like she used to. That said, he wouldn't be getting involved with the kids from Hollywood Arts.

"Mom and Dad are getting better. Slowly. Dad's devoting more time to coming around, but that also means he's even more protective." David was protective enough as it was. Hell, the man had an alarm attached to his phone that went off whenever the front door was triggered. The security cameras in the living room were hellish enough, though he didn't often review the tapes.

"Do you think they're going to stay together, Tori?"

"I…hope so." Trina sat up straight and listened for Tori's sorrowful sigh. "There's a talent coach from Russia that's been hounding me, Trina. It's exhausting." Her lips parted and she tensed her brow. "I don't want to give up my family for a singing contract in some foreign country."

"Have you told him you're not doing it?"

"Several times, but he's not letting up. Ian was right, I've become too preoccupied with this obsession of being famous. It's costing me to lose everyone I care about, how do I stop it?" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "How do I keep you from leaving home to go college when you come back? How do I stop mom and dad from getting a divorce? How do I stop my friends from tearing each other apart and splitting down the middle?"

Tori's voice was rising and Trina could feel the anguish seeping into her from the other end of the phone. Her breathing grew heavy and her hands balled up. "I don't know." Things were bad before Tori went to Hollywood Arts, but the way the girl demanded attention afterwards stole time away from the family and forced everyone to focus on her.

That focus caused extra tension that forced the rift that was already there to be spread wide open. "It's funny. I could equate that stupid Russian agent to a drug dealer. He keeps putting me on stages, getting me to sing…and I feel the rush all over again, and I'm just that tempted to say 'yes, I'll go to Russia for a contract'."

"It's not what you want, sis?"

"No!" Trina's mouth turned up to a smile and she leaned back in her seat. "It's not important right now. What's going on at camp? This Jenny girl still causing problems? How are things with you and Jason?"

"Jason and I are just friends."

"Dad doesn't think so, and neither do I." She laughed in disbelief. "What are you laughing at? Dad's almost having a conniption, he can't talk to this boy. I think it's great you found someone, or I hope you can let yourself find that someone."`

"You're trying to tell me Dad's actually _concerned_ that there might be a boy in my life. Do you forget who it is you're talking to, and who you're talking about?"

Her sister groaned out in exasperation. "Trina, Dad still loves you." Her eyes darted to the right and her shoulders rose. "You've _always_ been his favorite. You're his little girl, I never got the attention from him that he gave to you. Why? Because I didn't like the same things he liked, I didn't want to sit and watch Sunday football. I didn't grow up attached to him."

She pat the surface of the desk and looked to the closed door. Jason had been gone for a while and she wasn't sure how long her wanted to have the emergency line open. "That all changed a very long time ago. You know, Jason has this line for his uncle and his mother, so I'm not sure how long we should be on this."

Tori didn't reply, so she repeated her sister's name to make sure they didn't lose each other. "Katrina." Her father's voice startled her. She held her breath and closed her eyes as the man spoke firmly. "Who is this boy that you're talking about in your letters? One of them indicates you've been flirting with him while working out. What does that mean, sweetheart?"

Trina rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "It's nothing, Dad. Just harmless flirting with a guy. There's nothing more than friendship there."

"He's still a boy that I don't know, and with you over there…" She sensed the concern in his voice and started to smile. As hope glistened in her heart, she thought perhaps Tori was right about the man. "I like to know that you're here, and if there's a guy in your life."

"I'll be fine, Dad. Don't worry."

"Of course I worry. What if this boy does something? What if you're hurt and I can't get to you? I don't want something happening to you."

The phone cord became tangled in her hand as she twisted it while reclining in the chair. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling and her shoulders rose. "Why do you act like you care all of a sudden? Your job's always been more important than us, so don't start acting like you finally give a shit when you don't."

"That's not fair."

"It isn't?" Her calmness turned to anger, and her blood to ice. Trina leaned forward and closed her hand on the desk. "You got a promotion and you stopped paying attention. We used to do stuff together all the time, and then you just stopped." Her voice rose and she slanted her eyelids. A vehement growl left her scowling lips.

"No more watching the football games, no more betting on boxing matches or throwing the ball around outside. You just _quit_ on your family. You want to tell me I'm not being fair?"

"No." When she heard his defeated sigh, her muscles began to relax. "You're right. It's just what Tori's said, just what your mother said. I did stop…I felt like the stress of the job was too much and I didn't want my family to see that. I detached myself, and I'm sorry. It wasn't fair to any of you."

Her heart sank and a heavy breath fell away from her. "Of course it wasn't fair. It hurt us. It hurt Tori, hurt me…don't you realize that trying to protect us from the stress of your job just hurts your family more than it would otherwise?"

"I know it does. I'm _trying_ to work on that." She closed her eyes and folded her arm on the desk. Her body leaned over it and her head bowed towards it. She couldn't stand confessions, but hearing this from her father impacted her greatly. "Trina, I'll always love you. You'll always be my little angel."

As her heart leapt to her throat, she began to tear up at the mention of the familiar title. It was something he called her when she was a kid, and of course, she never quite grew out of hearing it.

"Dad…"

"Don't give up on me, I really am trying my hardest to make things right. For you, for your mother and your sister. You're up there, so I can't watch over you…all I can do is just pray you stay safe."

She pulled her hair back and started to smile. Warm blood rushed to her cheeks, and her head turned down as she spoke softly. "I can take care of myself, you know. I'll be safe."

"I know you will, but I worry. I always will. I'm a homicide detective, do you know what that means?"

"You work odd hours?" She smirked and listened to her father's laugh.

"Well that, but it means I see a lot of crime. I've seen parents lose their children, and every day I come home, I'm terrified that it could happen to me. A parent shouldn't have to bury their child, Trina."

"I'll be safe, Daddy. I promise to come home in one piece."

"Good." Trina let out a small, airy laugh. She pictured him with the widest grin on his face, and it pleased her. "When you get home, let's have dinner together. Catch up, me and you."

"You mean a daddy daughter date?" She raised an eyebrow and he chuckled. "I don't see why not. That is, if your job doesn't take precedence. I understand how important it is, though."

"I'll ask for time off, if I have to. They can assign a case to another detective if they must."

"Okay dad. We'll see."

"And be careful if you're getting involved with boys!" She rolled her eyes and felt her cheeks ache from the pressure of the grin on her face. "You're still my little angel. Can you blame a dad for not wanting his girl to grow up too fast?"

"Stop worrying. Jason and I are just friends." It was too much risk to open herself up like that. She was comfortable with friendship. "I need to go. I don't want to take this line up too long."

"Okay. Your mother says hello."

"Tell her hi back. Say bye to Tori for me, I'll send a letter soon. Love you, daddy."

"You too."

She set hung up and slid her arms across her waist. Her eyes focused on the desk for what felt like an eternity. As the silence around her grew more deafening, her eyes erupted with fresh tears and her body started to tremble.

In her mind she could see herself as a young girl again, riding on her father's shoulders as they ran down the beach. Behind them her mother called out, telling David not to run for risk of dropping their child.

That memory changed with age, but the love had always remained. Even as she grew and would don a football jersey while watching the superbowl with her father wearing a matching jersey, Holly and Tori would watch on and shake their heads whenever they screamed at the television.

Her heart ached with each fleeting memory. Those moments were the ones that she longed for, that she yearned to experience again.

The door slid open and she threw her head up with a gasp. Jason took a step in and kept his hand on the knob. "Trina? You alright?" She wiped away her tears and released a sobbing breath.

"I'm fine. Don't worry too much." She took a deep breath and stood up. "Sorry I took up the emergency line for your uncle."

He smiled at her and waved his hand through the air. "It's okay. Your sister made it sound important enough." She smiled back at him and nodded.

"Thanks for understanding." Trina walked around the desk and leaned her waist against the edge. Her hands grasped the edge and her eyes connected with his, studying the concern in his eyes. There was another emotion in there that concerned her; panic. "What about you? You look upset."

"Well, being in charge means I have to make sure all the people here are safe." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. A wrinkle popped up between his eyebrows, then the corners of his mouth pulled back into his cheeks. "That rule even extends to Jenny. Her bunkmate says she's been gone all afternoon and hasn't come back to camp."

"Doesn't she usually leave the site for a while?"

"Yeah, but her roommate says she never stays out past sundown. The woods out there aren't safe at night." He uncrossed his arms and started walking towards his desk, though it was more of a beeline to her. Her upper body leaned back and she held her breath. "It's not something you need to worry about, but I do have to send out a search party. It seems Eric is missing as well."

"Eric? The guy in our group?"

"Yeah. According to _his _roommate, he wanted to see where Jenny was going on a daily basis."

"Do you even know?"

"No. I've never thought to ask." Sundown was coming quick, and two people lost in the woods at night would be terrible for the camp. She understood the danger, and despite it being Jenny, she did want to help find the girl.

"Let me look for her." He raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head.

"I'm not sending you out there. I don't want_ you_ getting lost."

"You and I have gone hiking through those woods almost every day since I've been here. I know the woods." He furrowed his brow and breathed in slowly. "You won't have to worry about me, Jason."

He turned fully towards her and stood close enough that she could feel his breath her cheeks. "I don't want something to happen. You know the other side of the forest has a camp for recovering drug addicts, those people might be out and about at night."

She admired his concern for her, but felt it was unnecessary. Not many people knew the woods, that was true. Jason was one of the only people to leave camp on a regular basis, so those who knew their way around camp did so by their own exploration or by joining him.

That said, she was certain Travis was one of the few people who knew the woods. "Will you send Travis out to look for her?" He nodded once and she turned up a confident smile. "Then I'll go with him. What about you?"

"I have to stay here in case they wind up returning. I can signal the others on the radio to return."

She ran her tongue across her teeth, then clicked it against her cheek. "Let me find her. I wonder if she just ran off or something? I know she can't be happy about being switched to another group."

"That's the problem." He ran his hand over the back of his neck and slanted his eyes. "I don't trust Eric. Jenny's caused a lot of grief, and I've been watching, he almost always reacts. Cold as hell. So if he's gone looking for her and she hasn't come back…"

A streak of fear struck her like a ton of bricks. She understood his worry even more now. Jenny had to be found, and of course, so did Eric. "I'll bring her back safe." Jason pressed his lips together and looked into her eyes. His eyebrows slid up in the middle.

"Trina." His hand came to rest on her upper arm. "If it starts getting dark, please come back. If you do join Travis, stick with him. He knows the woods once it's dark." She reached across her chest, placing her hand over his, then smiled at him.

"First my dad, now you? Don't worry about me." He chuckled at her and pulled his hand away.

"I can't explain it."

"I'll be fine. We've got an hour, maybe? I'll get her back before sundown. Also, if I run into anyone from the drug rehab camp that seems dangerous-" She smirked and walked past him, then emphasized the swaying of her hips while looking over her shoulder. "I'll kick their ass."

Jason exhaled and curled his lips into a slick smile. "Stay safe out there. Travis is already leaving camp to look, I'll radio in and let him know you're joining the search."

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><p>So what do you think about the phone call she had? What is running through your mind there? Also, we see someone has gone missing, do you suspect something wrong as well?<p> 


	17. Letting it Go

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 17 (Letting it all Go)<p>

Inevitably, Trina did get separated from the search team. She had a walkie-talkie on her hip, and already radioed Travis that she'd circle around to find him. She didn't want him radioing in to Jason and telling him she got separated.

It wasn't a matter of getting turned around in the midst of the tall trees. She thought she spotted something and went to investigate without calling out to Travis.

Trina pushed a heavy branch out of her way and snapped the limb, then shoved it into the ground as a trail marker. "Soft ground, this should stand in place…" She watched it bend in the mud and frowned as it set at an angle against the tree. "Good enough, if it stays."

Her eyes turned up to the neon sky and a heavy breath fell from her lips. "Jesus Jenny, this better not be some ploy to buy attention or favor from Jason, because this is _not_ the way to do it."

Trina pressed onwards, scanning her surrounding with her eyes. As expected, there were nothing but trees and grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. Rather than panic and grow concern, she kept her calm. Calmness was what kept someone from getting too lost, panic would only make matters worse.

As a joke, Trina wondered if Tori's friends would listen to her if they ever got lost in the woods for some reason. "Doubt it," she laughed, "They'd probably freak out, say I didn't know what I was talking about, and then get lost even further." She was no girl scout, and never had been. Girl scouts annoyed her. That still didn't mean she didn't know her way around a forest. "God, I need to take them hunting one day…I wonder if daddy ever went hunting."

She slid her hair behind her ear and looked off to the left. Her sense of direction was fine in the daylight, but true to word, it wasn't as good when night fell. "Oh yeah, Jason's not going to be happy I got separated from Travis." He could deal with it though, especially since she was confident enough to find her way back to camp regardless of whether she found Travis's group.

As she made her way through the trees, she heard something in the distance that caught her attention. Her eyes squinted and she held her breath, ignoring the sound of rustling leaves to try and hear what else was around.

_Voices_

She turned to the right and saw an open cavern. Her eyebrows rose and she approached with one slow step after another. The closer she got, the more familiar the voices became. Jenny's she recognized in an instant, but then a second voice caught her attention.

The more she tried to put a finger on the familiarity, the more she felt a heaviness in her gut like stones forming. Her eyes narrowed and she put a palm against the rock wall beside the entrance. Her lips pressed together and her eyes darted from side to side as her heartbeat sped up.

"I can't believe you found me," Jenny wept. "He kept following me. No matter where I went…I can't believe you actually _looked_. I thought for sure."

"When you didn't show up at our usual place, I figured something was wrong." The man had a light, yet deep and slow speech. He carried an Eastern accent, likely from the coastal region. "I wish you would realize I care for you. It's not easy for me, and I'm not going to get jealous of your ex."

Trina's eyes squinted further and her hand closed over her chest. The blood in her body grew cold and her eyes started to enlarge. Were Jenny's actions a plan to get attention from _someone else?_

Her blood began to boil with anger, but it was hard to direct it at Jenny when she was beginning to realize who was speaking. The rocks in her stomach melted into a sickening horror, and adrenaline shot through her veins.

"Get away from her." She roared out and charged around the corner. The man standing in front of Jenny tensed, and Jenny turned her wide eyed, horrified stare onto Trina. Beside them was Eric, unconscious, but she didn't care. "Get the fuck away from her, Ross!"

"Trina?" He let out a scream as she threw him into the wall. Her fist clenched tight and her teeth locked together as fresh tears shot down her cheeks. "Wait! You don't-"

"Trina, stop!" Jenny cried out. Her fist hung in the air and she held her hate-filled glare on Jason. The memory of his attack played over in her head, and an immense pain swelled in her throat and muscles. "Don't hurt him." Her nostrils flared and her free hand slid to his throat, ready to crush his neck as he tried to do to her.

"I'm saving your life, Jenny. You don't know what this bastard is capable of." Her stomach spun with nausea, and saliva was spewing from the slits between her teeth.

Jenny's hand cupped over her mouth and her eyes widened. "That was you?" The girl whimpered and rushed over, attempting to squeeze between the two. "Trina, please." She whipped away with a disgusted growl and pushed her right foot back, bracing herself for a fight.

When she saw Jenny's arms slide around Ross's waist, she was struck with confusion. Her muscles remained tense and two thick stress lines formed along her forehead. "What's going on here? Why is he even here?" Jenny buried her head into the man's shoulder, and Ross looked at Trina with a guilt-ridden expression.

Jenny was clearly hurting. Her body was trembling and her eyes were red and puffy. As for Ross, he was holding a protective arm around the girl; as if they were dating. "You two are dating?" Trina put her hand to her stomach and turned her head away from the two, swallowing down the bile. "How?"

"I'm a counselor at the drug rehab clinic," Ross answered quietly, "I have been for a year now. I've also been sober for nearly three years…" Her eyes clenched tight and her knees started to buckle. "I met Jenny one day while I was taking a walk out here. About a year ago."

She ignored him for the moment and shot an angry glare at Jenny. Her hand flew out to the forest and her eyes lit up with anger. "What about Jason? You've stalked him, you've caused a ton of grief, and then you started in on me. What was that all about, Jenny? Huh?" Jenny winced and bowed her head. Ross's shoulders fell and he looked at Jenny with curious eyes.

"I…" The girl looked at Ross with a sad smile and then turned to Trina. "Kind of wanted to get him jealous. Ross, I mean." Trina scoffed at her and brought a hand up to her forehead, groaning angrily. "I knew Ross did something bad to someone once, I didn't know that was you. I mean, he's not that person again. He was high on drugs then."

"Yeah." She put her hands to her hips and fixated her glare on Jenny, unable to look at Ross. "He tried to force himself on me, Jenny." She raised her voice and threw her hand up at Ross. "Then he tried to choke me to death."

Ross took a deep breath and Jenny took a slow step forward. "Trina, he-"

"I'll do this," Ross interrupted. Trina crossed her arms and took a step back as the man moved in front of Jenny. The girl bowed her head and held her hands at her waist. Her nervous eyes drifted over to Eric and shut tight.

Trina could only assume based off the conversation she'd overheard that Eric had done something, but he was an afterthought for her right now. "Don't get too close." Her eyes shot at Ross and the nausea in her stomach spiked. "God. I can't do this right now. This can't be happening…" Her arms began trembling and she wanted to lean up against the cave wall for support, but preferred having her back to the exit in case she needed to run.

Her head started to pound and her eyes became heavy. The more she looked at Ross, the more vivid the memory became. His eyes held a great deal of remorse, which was curious.

"I know what I did. I know it was wrong." She swallowed heavily and moved her hand up over her mouth, to contain the bile should it seep out from her throat. It wasn't fair to see him moving on with his life either, but it did strike a deep chord within her. If _Ross_ was able to move on with his life, then why was she still so locked up emotionally?

"You're off the drugs?" She dropped her hand down and sneered at him. "Are you about to say 'sorry'? Because if you are, you've got another thing coming." Her voice began to rise and Ross flinched. "Do you even know the amount of fucking pain you've put me through?"

Tears ran over her eyelids. She leaned her body forward, slicing her arm through the air. "I can't even let myself be with a guy because of you. All I can do is think that I'm worthless, and all people want to do is hurt me. I can't open myself up, I can't take that fucking risk, and whose fault is it?"

"You hate me. I know-"

"Of course I hate you." She threw her hands up and shouted as loud as she could. Her lungs felt as though someone threw a match into them, and her body temperature was rising to lethal levels. "You can't even begin to imagine the pain you put me through. Worse than anybody else. It was _you_, all _you!"_

She circled him, still screaming at him. Part of her was thrilled to be the dominant force, while the rest of her wanted to run and leave Jenny alone with this man. "You can never get clean enough when someone tries to hurt you the way you did." He bowed his head and closed his hands slowly. "I sat in my shower for hours, trying to wash it all away. Even though you were stopped, you still destroyed me."

"I know."

"You know? You _know?_ If you knew how to control yourself, then you would have been able to do that back then."

"He's never done anything to me," Jenny started to say in his defense.

"Not now Jenny." Her arms and legs tensed, then she spun on her heels, glaring ferociously at her. "On second thought. What the hell is your problem? Obsessing over your ex when you've got someone you're dating. Where's the justice in that? You cause Jason so much pain, you don't even get it. Leave him alone if you're seeing someone else."

"I was just doing it because-" Jenny's eyes darted to Ross and she let out a frustrated growl. "I like romance novels, okay?" Trina raised an eyebrow at her and she leaned back. Her arms crossed over and she shook her head at the girl. "I love to read, and sometimes I get ideas…"

"Ideas?"

"There was one book where the girl tries to get her boyfriend jealous by starting to go out with her ex." Trina slipped her hand through her hair and sighed at Jenny's stupidity. "So I thought maybe I could get Jason interested in me again, and that might make Ross jealous."

"And did it work, Jenny?"

"No. Obviously his interests are elsewhere." She waved her hand towards Trina. Trina cleared her throat and looked out to the forest. "Ross has difficulty committing to a relationship. That's all. I thought maybe he didn't care, but after what happened with Eric…" Jenny rubbed her arm and Trina followed her gaze to the unconscious boy.

Her facial features softened and her pulse slowed momentarily. "What happened with Eric, Jenny? What did he do."

"He was chasing me all afternoon. He followed me into the cave and tried…" Trina's muscles tensed up and Jenny sobbed once. "Ross found me, and he hit Eric from behind before he could hurt me."

A great anger lashed out from her pulsating heart. Her fists clenched tight and her eyes darted over to Ross. She watched him closely as he walked to the other side of the cave, pressing his back up against the wall.

"You _saved_ her?" She wiggled her nose and her mouth twisted into a sneer of disgust. "From the very thing that you tried to do to me? You…" Her lips curled inwards and she furrowed her brow. "You son of a bitch. Also, why doesn't it surprise me you can't deal with a relationship?"

Ross looked away and raised his shoulders. "I can deal. It's the fucking guilt and fear that holds me back." Her eyebrows rose and her mouth opened, but she couldn't bring forth any response.

He crossed his right leg over his left and glanced back at her. "Once your father beat the shit out of me, and when I came to, I knew I messed up. There's nothing I can do to take back what I did, nothing I can say. I feel like shit because of it, and I've never been able to let go of that."

She searched his eyes, wanting to find a lie hidden away in them, but all she saw was sorrow. Trina held her breath and closed her eyes. "But you've moved on. If you're dating somebody."

"I'm trying. It's a step at a time. We're taking it slow, trying to work through the kinks, but I'm trying." He started to move forward, but stopped when her eyes flew open. Ross stepped back into place and his breathing grew shallow. "Look. I know saying sorry means little to you, I know saying that I regret it doesn't help, but if I could take it back, if I could change what happened that day…"

She brought her hands up, cupping them over her face, using them to catch her long and anguished scream.

Her hands slid down and away from her face, then dropped to her legs with a slap. "I've kept my heart closed because of you. I don't take risks because of you, because of my sister's friends, because of my father, but mostly you and two other shits I dated…I don't let myself get hurt. I told myself not to put myself in that position. Here you're telling me, of all people, _you_ are moving on with your life?"

"I figured I couldn't be afraid to take a risk forever." A sudden pang struck her heart, like a knife. She cupped her hands over her stomach and growled at him. "I…I really do regret ever hurting you."

"Shut up. Just shut up." She looked out to the woods and whimpered softly. "It's getting dark out. I need to get Jenny back."

Jenny took a small step forward and looked up at Trina. "Trina, I'll leave him alone." She put her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Jason, I mean. I…I know Ross cares about me, I know he's trying to work on his mess, and I know I need to be patient."

"Life isn't a romance novel, Jenny. You can't just do what someone in a book does and expect it to work. You need to live your own life, I guess Ross too, and Jason needs to."

"So do you," Ross interjected. Her eyes shot out at him and he flinched. "Sorry, I just…"

"You have no place."

"I know. I-you're right."

"I need to think." She put her hand to her forehead and paced to the right. "I'm not even with him, Jenny." She threw her hand out and spat in the air. "Jason and I are only and have only been friends."

"Well it does look like something more," Jenny replied. Trina scoffed and turned her back to the girl. "What's so wrong about it? It's not like he would ever hurt you. I hurt him, not the other way around…" Her heart fluttered in her chest and she let out a disgusted groan.

"Just shut up, Jenny. I _can't_."

"Why? Because of something Ross did to you years ago?" She looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at the girl. Jenny took another step forward and slanted her eyes. "Ross is letting it go. Whatever he did, whatever-you said two other guys-did to you, it was a long time ago. You're going to do what, let that keep you from moving on? You say everyone else needs to move on with their lives, what about you?"

"Are _you_ trying to give _me_ advice?" She scoffed out her disbelief, then her nausea turned to anger.

Silence fell around her as her gaze connected with Ross's remorseful eyes. She still had her anger, but there was something more. A realization. "If you could change. If you can feel remorse." She took a deep breath and looked away, clenching her eyes shut. "If you, of all people, can let go of the past and move on with your life…why can't I?" She turned her head skyward and scoffed again. "Why? Why did you even do what you did?"

"I was under the influence of drugs."

"So? What kind of excuse-"

"It isn't an excuse, damn it." He raised his voice and she shot a glare at him, causing him to quiet down. "No. It isn't an excuse. I was weak, and the drugs made me feel strong-in control. Then I wasn't in control that day, and I didn't like it." He bowed his head and put his hands to his hips. "After that, for so long I was afraid of hurting someone else. I didn't go into relationships because I didn't trust myself. Then I met Jenny, we just started spending time together and…I don't know how she trusts me, but she does. I could put my fears behind me, I could have a normal relationship if I let it happen…"

"I see." She ran her hand through her hair and brought it down to her neck, holding it in place. She craned her neck to the left and exhaled slowly. "I want to let it go. I want to move on. All the pain, all the hurt…Maybe I can try." She opened her eyes partway and furrowed her brow. "I can try to open up. I can try to let the past go. I can do that."

"I won't ask your forgiveness, Trina. I know you probably will never reach that point, but…please don't let that one fucked up moment ruin you. You're a great person, a beautiful woman and intelligent girl." She dropped her hand and gasped shakily. "You deserve to have a good life, not to be held back by something that even I regret…let that go if you can."

"I-" She stopped herself and groaned at the immense pain in her chest. "I'll try." She heard static from the walkie-talkie at her hip and gasped as Jason's concerned voice broke into the silent air.

"Trina? Trina where are you! Travis radioed in, it's getting dark and you're nowhere in sight. Respond, please." She cupped her hand over her mouth and sobbed into it. Her heart started to break as she felt a weight falling from her shoulders.

It was time to find a way to let the past go, to let herself grow. She needed to know who she was inside, and _Ross_ of all people was right; the only way she was going to grow was by letting it all go.

"Trina? Do you copy? Goddamn it, are you safe out there?"

She grabbed the radio off her hip and hit the speaker button. "I'm here." Her voice trembled and her fingers shook over the button. "I found Jenny. Found Eric. I'll bring her here, but send Travis out to Eric."

"Copy," Travis interrupted, "Where is your location?"

"There's a cave, and-"

"I know where it is. There's only one cave in this area, used to be where bears hibernated. Can you get back to the campsite?"

"Yes. Jenny and I will start heading out. Eric is…" She looked to Eric and sneered at the man. "Out of commission right now." She released the speaker button and sighed heavily.

"He seems concerned about you," Ross said. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." She started for the mouth of the cave and turned to Jenny. "Jenny, let's go. Ross, go back to your own camp…I don't want to see or hear from you again."

"I understand. I'll respect that."

Jenny picked up a backpack and hurried behind Trina. Trina's body was stiff and she felt on edge, checking over her shoulders with every passing second. The last thing she wanted was to be followed. "What will you tell Jason, Trina?" Trina flinched and brought her hand up to her brow, sweeping away the sweat.

"That the worst of my exes is a counselor at the drug rehab clinic? I don't know, Jenny. Probably nothing. I'm pissed, okay?"

"I'm sorry."

"No. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen that." She inhaled slowly and looked for nearby trail markers. "You've been treating me like shit and obsessing over Jason all because you wanted to make a guy you were with jealous? Because it worked in a damned romance novel? Life isn't a romance novel!"

"I know. I know that now. This would never have happened if Eric didn't-"

"Don't worry about Eric. At the very least, we're reporting _that_ to Jason."

"Eric will be sent home."

"He should be." She stopped moving for a second and looked back. She was thinking about Tori's friends. "You wouldn't happen to know a Jade West, would you?" Jenny raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Ah. Didn't think so. Well, regardless, can you _please_ leave me alone from now on?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Call me whatever you like, but I'm not a fucking diva just because I like to dress up once in a while."

When they reached the campground, Trina had been able to relax a little. The sun was almost entirely gone from the sky, and the moon was high.

Jason was standing at the door, his eyes peered out as though they'd been searching the area. When he saw her, he began to relax. She flashed a smile and was caught off guard when he hurried to her side and threw his arms around her.

Her heart leapt to her throat and her trembling arms moved around his waist while her voice broke into a single sob. He pulled his head back and looked into her eyes. "A sob? Are you okay? What's wrong?" She cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm okay."

Jason reached up and gently swept a stray bit of hair from her face. His voice softened and his eyes scanned hers carefully. "Had me worried." He exhaled and turned towards Jenny. "I'm glad you're okay as well." Jenny smiled weakly and nodded. "And Eric?"

"Tried to hurt me," she answered, "But he didn't get far." Jason crossed his arms. His chest expanded and his eyebrows scrunched together. "Eric's dangerous."

"I was afraid of that. I'll have to send him home then."

"Yeah." Jenny's eyes moved to Trina, then she reached out to Jason. When her hand touched his forearm, he flinched and pulled away. "Jason, I'm sorry. For everything. Please…I'll go home if you want me to, but I'll leave you alone from now on. I promise."

Trina would be more than happy to send the girl home, but she knew it wouldn't be right. "Hold on," she interrupted. After what went down with Eric, the girl would need the comfort of her boyfriend-which Trina still had difficulty wrapping around her mind that it was Ross. "You shouldn't be sent home for something Eric did." Jenny pursed her lips and turned away from her, clearing her throat.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She would love to have had a guy that cared enough about her to comfort her after what happened with Ross all that time ago. Jenny smiled weakly, then walked into the campsite.

Jason raised an eyebrow and glanced at her with concern. "What was that about?" She shook her head.

"Nothing to worry about now. I need to see Lindsay…" She put her hand to his upper right arm and smiled at him. "We'll talk later. You have things to deal with, I think." She moved her hand from his arm and walked into the campsite, still struggling to hold back her tears long enough to get out of eyeshot.

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><p>What we have here is an emotional and drama filled chapter. So much has been said, so much has happened. Jenny's agreed to let well enough alone, but I hope you didn't forget that she's only a small part of a bigger picture.<p> 


	18. A Good Man

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Though the last chapter is long and I'm still finishing up the next chapter, I decided not to make you wait for this one. You'll see why.

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><p>Chapter 18 (A Good Man)<p>

The wet rag tickled her face and cleaned away the streaks left behind by her tears. The night hours had passed by and she hadn't been able to sleep. Lindsay kept the door shut for her and stayed in the room to comfort her. "I still can't wrap my head around it, Lindsay."

Lindsay was sitting beside her bed. She folded the rag and laid it neatly on Trina's forehead. "I can't understand it either." The girl chuckled softly and moved her hands to her knees. "I'm glad you let me be here for you, though."

"I couldn't do this alone." She brought her hand up to the rag and closed her eyes. A rush of air ran up her body and left her lips with swift procession. "You know. Ross wasn't the only man to hurt me. There was Marcus and Mitchel."

"Tell me about them?"

"What can I say?" She dropped her hand to the bed and felt her body tremble. In her mind, she visualized them. Mitchel was the tall and slender high school student with freckles and thick black glasses. He had a blonde mullet, and tended to wear crew shirts and dark sweats.

Marcus was the angry middle school student. His hair was shaved and the line of his hair formed a 'V' as if he were a vampire. His dark eyes could burn a hole into whatever they fell on. He was skinny, cowardly, and that cowardice could lead to violence.

"When I was thirteen, I dated a man…Mitchel. He was a high school junior." She looked up, fearing Lindsay's judgment. The girl remained calm, listening eagerly and transporting the rag to the bucket of water. "He was really possessive, wanting to know where I was and what I was doing at all times."

"Sounds like a terror."

"He was. Once my dad took me to the park to throw the ball around, and Mom called us up saying Mitchel wanted to know where I was." She chuckled at the now ancient-feeling memory. "Mitchel actually told my mother that I needed to tell him where I was at all times, and when she told him this wasn't the case, he said for her to 'watch it'." Lindsay's jaw fell open and she quickly shook her head.

"Wow. To say that to a girl's mother. I'm amazed he didn't get his ass kicked."

"He did." Lindsay squeezed the water from the rag and carefully moved it back to Trina's forehead. "I tried to end the relationship, Dad told the kid it was over. Mitchel started stalking me after that…"

She closed her eyes at the memory of seeing the teenager in his car, glaring at the house for hours. Occasionally David would step outside and shake his fist at the youth, causing him to drive off.

But he would always come back. Tori stopped walking to school because of him.

"Dad eventually got a restraining order, but he came back around one last time. That time, Dad gave him hell. Beating him up and telling him not to come back around his family…I haven't seen Mitchel since."

Lindsay whistled lowly and folded her left leg over her right. Trina closed her eyes and felt the skin around her eyes tense as Marcus flashed before her. "I dated someone not long after him. Marcus. He was a little creep. Didn't know how to get what he wanted besides hitting."

The girl threw her hands up over her mouth. Trina folded her hands on her stomach and opened her eyes at the window. "Dad wasn't too happy when I kept coming home with bruises on my face. Well, that relationship ended quickly."

At this point of time, she wouldn't let anyone get away with striking her. "After Ross, and after Tori started going to Hollywood Arts and getting all the attention that she got, I felt I had to go all drama queen on people. I felt like I needed to force people to be my friend, force them to like me…I'd throw myself at boys, hoping Mr. Right would finally notice me."

"Mr. Right?" Lindsay's eyebrow rose.

"Yeah." Trina laughed out and raised her hands to the air. "You know. Prince Charming, Mr. Right…the guy every girl dreams about meeting." She dropped her arms and shook her head. "One guy, Kevin, asked me out one day and I was thrilled. So excited somebody finally noticed me."

Lindsay smiled at her and moved a gentle hand to her shoulder. Trina frowned and rolled her gaze over to the girl, causing her to withdraw her hand. "I guess that didn't work out."

"No." She pressed her lips together and felt a surge of pain from her heart. "I went to the restaurant and I waited for him. He…" She exhaled and looked towards the sky. "Never showed. I got a text later that said he thought I was too crazy for him and that I was rushing too quick."

"Another failure for Mr. Right."

"Stupid Drama Queen. She can't land a man to save her life." Trina's smirk caused her friend to laugh, despite the pain. The room grew tense and she averted her eyes quickly. "There was another time I got excited, then he dumped me before we had a chance. Want to know how?"

"How?"

"Hired two of my sister's friends to sing a song to me."

"Prick."

"You said it." She pulled her hands up and slid them down behind her head. "Then I made the stupid mistake of trying to force everyone to notice me again." Lindsay's brow tensed up and her fingers gripped her knees. "I also wanted to be mean, told people I was with Beck when I wasn't…Beck, Andre, and Robbie all came over to 'teach me a lesson'. One of them, I think it was Beck, restrained me. After what happened with Ross, I didn't get an ounce of sleep that night, and all I could think about was beating those three to a pulp."

Lindsay gave her forearm a squeeze and smiled reassuringly at Trina. They held each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. The silence in the room thickened and some of the heaviness inside of her subsided.

"Why do some people think it's okay to play with your heart? Can you answer that, Lindsay?"

"I can't." Trina raised her hand up to Lindsay's wrist and set it carefully above her friend's wristband. Lindsay peered down at the band and took a deep breath. "Travis is a good man. I think he knows why there's a scar there, but he hasn't pressured me about it."

"He cares about you."

"Jason cares about you too." Lindsay blurted out the words and Trina pulled her hand away with a sigh. She visualized Jason in her head and smirked while imagining him kicking down all of the boys before. "And I've seen the way you look at him, Trina. Don't tell me you don't feel the same way."

"It's hard, Lindsay. I-I _want_ that, but I'm scared. I'm scared I won't be good enough for him, scared to put myself out there at the risk of being hurt again. I can't do that. Except-"

She turned away and her face softened up. She remembered Ross and Jenny together, and wondered why she kept her heart under lock and key when even that man was able to put the past behind him and try to move on.

"Ross said he's trying to move forward. He struggles with what he did or almost did to me, but he's put himself out despite the risk. Jenny accepted him, she knows what he did and she accepted him." She folded her arms over her abdomen and shook her head. "What does that say about me, Lindsay?"

"Honest." She turned to her friend and brought her eyebrows together. "You still hold on to all the pain, all the fear, and it's understandable but how can you grow if you don't try? Maybe moving ahead, maybe even moving ahead with Jason will help you. The worst guy to hurt you lucked out, who says you can't?"

"But what if I get hurt again?"

"You move on? I mean, I think Jason's a good guy, but you'll never know if something's good if you just shy away." Lindsay's mouth curled into a smirk and she nudged Trina's shoulder playfully. "Besides, do you want to grow up an old cat lady?"

"O-Old cat lady?" She sputtered and sat up with a start. "No! I…just have a lot of doubts and concerns."

"Well. Starting a relationship is half the journey." Lindsay held her hands between her knees and lifted her shoulders. "Relationships are part of growing up, Trina. You've had a lot of mess-ups, a lot of Mr. Rights were Mr. Wrong, but maybe that means you're due for the lucky one, but if you pass him up…"

"Then I'll never know, right?"

"I guess it's like this. You can protect yourself for so long, protect yourself into a bubble, but you'll never be happy. Truly happy. You'll hurt yourself."

"You're saying give it a chance?"

"I'm saying take a risk. You like this guy, do you want to spend the rest of your life thinking back on Jason and wondering what would have happened if you gave him a shot?" She turned her head down and pressed her lips together. "If he treats you right and cares for you, you can look back on him as a good thing. If the relationship doesn't work out, you can look back and say at least you gave it a shot, and knowing is better than wasting years not knowing."

"Maybe you have a point, but what if he doesn't even feel the same? What if he thinks I'm too overbearing? What if I'm too nuts?"

Lindsay crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Have you acted at all like a diva lately?"

"No. I don't have to here, people don't know me and I didn't feel like I had to win anyone's favor or change their opinion about me."

"So you've basically been yourself."

"I guess."

"No acting crazy, no acting obsessive, just being calm and relaxed. You've also talked to Jason, you two are on friendly terms. Does he have any reason to think you're nuts?"

"No."

"Then what are you waiting for?" It wasn't easy here either, since they were at camp and could stand the chance of being separated afterwards. Sure, both of them lived in California, but could they even end up finding each other once they got back? She didn't have her phone, so she couldn't save his number.

Trina smiled sheepishly and looked up at the ceiling. "Well. I don't really like it up there. The top of the walls is a bit high up…" Lindsay's eyelids fell halfway and her wrists bent at her waist.

"Pretend you and Jason went rock climbing and you're up there with him on that little structure you guys like to climb."

After that statement, Trina didn't get much time to protest Lindsay's actions. Her friend pulled her out of the bed, dressed her up and groomed her to look like she hadn't just been crying for several hours straight.

Trina convinced herself that she would talk to Jason, and fight back all the negative relationships of the past that kept her from moving forward.

Now she stood before his office door, with the open air on both sides of her. While the top of the walls did have a border frame to lean up against for support, she still couldn't stand looking over them.

This supporting edge rose up only to her chest. Despite that safety feature, she remained terrified.

That terror vanished when she knocked on Jason's door, and a new fear grew in its place. _"What am I doing?"_ Lindsay was waiting for her in the room, not pressuring her to talk to Jason. She would understand if Trina got cold feet and ran.

Right now, her feet were frigid, but her legs were frozen.

She spent her waiting time trying to convince her that there was nothing between her and this man, and that she was only going to make a fool of herself.

Hell, she didn't mention to Lindsay that the ultimate rejection from a man came from the years of neglect she suffered at her father's hands. While her father apologized and appeared to want to reconcile, it didn't take away from the feeling that he at once didn't want anything to do with her.

Trina closed her eyes and grit her teeth as a tremble shot down her body. "No," she said aloud, "People don't want me around."

"Trina?" Her eyes flew open and she gasped at Jason, standing in the now open doorway. His right arm was stretched out, with his hand on the knob. "I thought you didn't like coming up here? Also, I enjoy having you around."

"You-" She cleared her throat and scratched at her neck. "You're not busy, are you?" He stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

"Not too busy for you. What's up?"

"I was hoping we could talk."

"Alright. Let's walk." Her eyes widened and she turned her head to the right. Jason smirked and walked past her. "You're not going to fall off."

"What if there's a really powerful wind, capable of pushing two hundred pounds off the wall?"

He chuckled at her and spread his arms out. "Well, then two hundred plus pounds of muscle will be flying over the edge." She smiled and tucked the corner of her lower lip beneath her teeth. "I wouldn't let you go over though, I'll assure you of that."

Trina moved her hand to her right cheek, sighing as it burned bright red. "Right. It's not that scary." She took a deep breath and walked with him in the center of the walkway.

They made their way along the wall and Jason playfully nudged her arm with his elbow. She yelped and smacked him back playfully. "Don't push me. I know I'm not going to fall off. Sheesh."

Ten minutes passed and Trina kept quiet with a steady uncertainty growing within. "It's a beautiful day," Jason said. She looked to the clear blue sky and turned her lips up. "Missed you in class, then lunch. Is everything okay?"

"No, but it's getting better." She linked her index fingers together at her belt and looked down to her feet. "Thanks for asking."

"You did seem really shaken up, but I'm glad you're okay." Trina walked over to the edge of the walkway, trembling with anxiety as she approached it. "Trina?" He watched over her and approached her.

"I need to look. I need to face this."

"Alright."

When she opened her eyes, she could see a magnificent sight. Once again the sea of trees mixed with the blanketing sky. The cool wind dispersed the burning blush on her cheeks and let her hair blow wildly behind her.

"Wow." Her hand moved to her chest and a smile grew on her face. "It's breathtaking." She looked back at Jason; his hand rubbed the back of his head and he approached the edge with a smile. "Have you ever seen anything so amazing?"

"Up here?"

"Yeah."

"I'm used to the sight, I see it all the time." She pursed her lips and leaned forward, sliding her hands along the stony surface. Jason exhaled and turned sideways on the stone block, leaning against his elbow. "But you're right, there's a lot of amazing things to see up here right now."

He looked out at the green sea below and closed his eyes as the breeze ran through his hair. Trina brushed her lips together and looked down to his hands. "Jason, I…what I want to say really isn't easy for me."

Jason gave her a concerned look. A hump grew above the wrinkle being pushed up between his brow, and his handsome lips were pursed just slightly. "Is everything alright, Trina?"

"Yes, no, I mean-" She groaned in frustration and reached up to her hair, holding it back and wishing the wind would subside. "Goddamn wind!" Jason's smile grew and he watched as Trina fought to put her hair into a ponytail. "Fucking wind, ruining this moment like it's got nothing better to do."

She caught his gentle gaze and froze in place. Her hands moved away from her hair and a nervous chuckle fell from her. "Sorry, I just get a little nervous sometimes. I'm stalling, I know."

"Stalling?"

"Yes." It was best to just come out with it at this point. The longer she took, the greater was her desire to run. She leaned back against the stone border and moved her palms to the edge. "I like you." His eyebrows rose sharply and she held his gaze. "A lot. I…don't know how this goes, but I can't stop thinking about you. I want to be with you-to give this a chance."

"I can't say I don't feel the same." Her heart lifted up and Jason stepped before her, holding her gaze with his. The blood shot up to her cheeks and her lips fell open by barely an inch. "I think you're an amazing, beautiful woman. It's been a long time since I've felt anything for someone, or even thought about a relationship."

"Maybe we could give it a shot?"

"I'd like that. Take it slow." She swallowed down a lump of air and moved her eyes to his lips. She reached for his hands and gave them a gentle tug. Her chest expanded and air filled her lungs as he carefully approached her.

His hands fell to her waist and slid around to the small of her back. Trina dropped her hands back to the edge of the stone structure she was leaning against. "It seems…if I should ask…"

Her pulse jumped and began to charge through her veins, heating her body with each inch that closed between them. She let her lips separate and shut her eyes as Jason started to close the gap.

Then he took her, his gentle lips brushed against hers, sending a spark of excitement into her body. His powerful arms pulled her towards him, but held her safe. Trina's eyebrows closed together and she groaned out as she felt her body shift up.

She moved her arms around his back and pushed her chest against his. The feeling of his heartbeat against hers sent further shocks out, electrifying her.

Jason pulled his lips away and Trina stumbled forward, gasping for the air that his kiss seemed to steal away. His hand rose to her cheek, cupping it carefully. She whimpered as her body started to tremble.

"Jason."

"I-I'm sorry. If that was too sudden." She took a deep breath as the hard lump returned to her throat. She wanted another kiss, she wanted this relationship to go, but she was still terrified.

"You aren't regretting it, are you?"

"What? No." His eyes dropped to her trembling lips and he closed his mouth to swallow. "God no." Her body felt as though it had become air, and should she release him, the wind might truly carry her away.

"I'm scared. Can we-can we do this?"

"Yes." Her heart jumped out of her chest and she breathed in sharp as Jason leaned in. She moved her arms around his neck and let herself melt into his embrace as he pulled her into another warm and tender kiss.

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><p>So they finally kiss, it isn't a confession of love because there's been no relationship development, but this is a start of a new relationship. Let's see if it will work out, I'm sure the both of them have their fears and whatnot to work on. What are your thoughts throughout the chapter? Hmm, I enjoy this couple, but I'll be the first to say this is the most real and romantic way that I've brought them together.<p> 


	19. Boost of Confidence

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 19 (Boost of Confidence)<p>

None of it mattered. That's what she told herself, anyway. All of the hurt and all of the pain she suffered in the past, it was behind her now. This wasn't necessarily true to her heart, though.

It hit her as she walked back to her room; she was frightened. The kiss, the start of a relationship, none of it seemed real to her. Even now, Trina had to fight her fears that Jason might hurt her.

To her surprise, Lindsay was waiting for her. "How did it go?" She asked. Trina staggered forward as if she were in a trance. His kiss still lingered on her tantalizing her and leaving her hungry for more.

"I-he…" She touched her fingers to her trembling lips and closed her eyes. Lindsay's hands moved to her waist, and her mouth turned into a wide smile. Of course she always thought her sister would be the first person to know when a new relationship began, but not this time. "I'm still in shock."

"Well what happened girl? Give me the details. Did he say yes, no, did you talk to him? You're blushing and acting all-" The girl suddenly stopped and her grin increased when Trina's cheeks turned crimson from the hot blood beneath her skin. "Oh my gosh, he kissed you, or you kissed him? Either way, you kissed!"

Suddenly she was grabbed by the shoulders and yanked into the room. She let out a scream and stumbled towards her bed, catching herself for a moment before falling onto it. "Lindsay, please!"

"Sorry. I'm just happy for you. I get excited sometimes."

Trina swept her hair over her ear and carefully sat on the edge of her mattress. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say, how to act or anything." She placed her hands in her lap and stared down at them, whining softly as her heart seemed to fight to escape her chest. "I'm scared."

Lindsay sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Of what? What are you scared of?"

"A lot." She didn't want to say that Jason had been her first legitimate kiss, and certainly didn't want to say she was frightened that this relationship wouldn't last longer than a week.

"You can talk to me, Trina. You know everything is between us two." She smiled and leaned into her friend. Her head came to rest on Lindsay's shoulder. "So you kissed. What's next?"

"Well, he kissed me, if we want to be technical." She played with her fingers, tangling them together and running her thumb swiftly across the surface of her hand. "It was mutual, though." Her lip tucked beneath her teeth and her body began to heat up. "We'll date. What if it doesn't last, though? What if I do something wrong? What if-"

"Stop it." She froze and looked at Lindsay with a furrowed brow and a softening expression. Lindsay brought her hands up and cupped Trina's face, then smiled gently. "Stop scaring yourself silly and give this relationship a chance. You can ask 'what if' forever, but you'll never know. You have to give something a chance to develop."

She pulled away from her friend and cleared her throat. "No, you don't understand. I can't do this." She stood abruptly and started to pace, throwing her hand in the air. "I can't let myself be hurt again. Jason might-"

"You think that man's going to hurt you? After what he went through himself?" She stopped in the middle of her pacing and turned around, whining subtly.

"No. But I'm scared. This is something…I've never done."

Jason was different than the other men in her life; she knew he was. There was something about him that was softer, genuine, and maybe even real. He couldn't hurt her, but then, he could.

"Why can't I accept that maybe someone's attracted to me, Lindsay? I mean, he likes me-he kissed me and is willing to try a relationship. Why can't I accept that?" Lindsay smiled at her, then looked down to her wristband with a shrug.

"I guess, I understand why you're scared. Simple answer, you don't want to be hurt again." Lindsay moved her hand over her wristband and took a deep breath. "Tougher answer? You know accepting it means starting a relationship and jumping into unknown areas, and you know that starting a relationship means taking risks."

"Risks aren't always good…"

"But sometimes they can be." Lindsay stood up and walked over to her. "Think about it. I'm with Travis now, and I couldn't be happier to be with a man that cares about me. I'm starting to trust him, and no trusting someone doesn't come easy. Especially when you've been hurt so many times."

Trina swallowed the lump of air in her throat and looked to the ceiling. "What if I do put my heart out there and end up hurt?"

"Well. I don't think he'd hurt you, and even Travis thinks Jason's just a soft guy with a rough exterior." Trina chuckled once and gently rubbed her left arm with her. "Tough as hell commander that's really a teddy bear-Travis's words, not mine." Lindsay laughed again for a second, then fell quiet.

Trina's eyes slid nervously into Lindsay's, and her heart jumped up to her throat. Lindsay reached out to her, setting a gentle hand onto her shoulder. "Rome wasn't built in a day, Trina, and neither does love happen in a day. It takes _time_, it takes patience and effort."

"And if something goes wrong? If I mess this up?"

"You wouldn't let yourself."

"If he-"

"If he did anything to hurt you, I'd tear him to pieces. I don't think he would." Lindsay's brow furrowed. Her hand dropped down to the side and Trina pursed her lips. "Are you looking for a reason to back down? An excuse?"

"N-No! It's just…I'm still trying to figure things out." She walked past Lindsay and peered out the window at the scenery. "I've never just been myself, you know? I've always been the diva. I've always been impulsive, obsessive and clingy. It's hard to get away from that image…" She swept her hair over her ears and felt the rush of her ever-quickening heart. "I can just picture Tori's friends, swearing this is impossible. They would say I can't find a man that wants to be with me, and anyone that does is insane or blind. I-"

"Oh god, shut up." She jolted her head back and looked over her shoulder. Lindsay was shaking her head. Her arms were crossed and her foot was tapping on the floor. "As your best friend, I'm asking you to stop giving a shit about what people say regarding your personal life when they know nothing about you."

"I…"

"Why do they matter to you?" She bowed her head and closed her hands up. No answer came to mind that was good enough for her. "Their opinion should mean as much to you as Jenny's does."

The girl stepped forward and snapped her fingers. "As a matter of fact, any time you think of what those people would say, just tell them to be quiet."

"It's easier said than done."

"Of course it is, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Just like you having a relationship that actually lasts isn't impossible! But the only problem there is, it's not going to last if _you_ don't try."

"I'll try. I'm just not used to it." Trina sat down again and pushed herself back against the wall. She stretched her legs across the bed and slid her hands down, wiping some sweat off on her pants. "I um, I'm nervous."

"That's fine." Lindsay grinned wide and raised her eyebrows. "What are you guys going to do for your first official date?" Her heart stopped for a split second and she glanced back to the ceiling, as though looking to Jason through the concrete walls. "You guys did decide on a date, right?"

"I think we still have to talk about some stuff. I mean, he _is _the head counselor here." While dating was allowed on campsite, there were some stringent regulations. A relationship, for instance, could not take away from group time. "We did decide to just hike through the woods like we've been doing. You know, cause that's fun for us."

She smiled sweetly, watching as Lindsay shrugged. "Cool. I was expecting something else, but you have to start where you're comfortable." Lindsay's smile turned into a smirk, and her eyelids fell into slants. "However, the next time you see Jason, you're going to be even more gorgeous than you already are."

"Wha-" A blush rushed to her cheeks and she threw her hands to her face in an attempt to conceal it. "I don't-"

"Oh come on girl, you're sexy and you know it, don't act like you don't know it." Lindsay smacked her shoulder and laughed. "I'm going to give you a makeover that will make Jason even more excited that he's going out with you."

"But I don't _want _a makeover!" She cleared her throat and waved her hands into the air. This was the whole thing that screwed everything up and she didn't want to have any part of the diva lifestyle. "I'm trying to put the attention loving diva girl behind me, if I can say it like that. You know. Lindsay, all the makeup, glitter and nail polish isn't even right here. I was made fun of just for wearing a dress to camp!"

As her frenzied protests increased, her friend moved cooly towards her and silenced her by placing a hand just beneath her chin. Trina closed her mouth and let Lindsay tilt her head upright a bit.

"I didn't say I was going to make you over with makeup and glitter, Trina. You like that stuff more than I do. What I'm going to do is embellish your natural beauty." She pulled her head away and closed her eyes. "And yes, you have that."

"That's not what most people-"

"Ah uh!" Her eyes shot open and she glanced sideways at Lindsay. Her friend was wagging a finger in the air and her eyebrows had pulled together. "What did I say? Who's opinion matters first, above all else?"

"My own?"

"Right. The first step in feeling confident and sexy is to look confident and sexy. You don't _need_ a shit ton of makeup, nail polish and accessories to be gorgeous. You just need to accentuate the natural beauty that you already have."

Trina's eyes widened and she turned her head slowly, watching as Lindsay examined her. "You see Trina Vega, you will be just as much the woman you are and just as beautiful, but that beauty will be magnified after you get a makeover from your best friend."

"You're just using this as an excuse to make up for lost time, aren't you?"

Lindsay closed her eyes and waved a hand in the air. "Partly." Seeing no way out of this, Trina slouched and sighed in defeat. "So, you've wowed him once, but are you ready to _wow _the man?"

She was skeptical of the process, considering they didn't have any electric tools to use. Lindsay did have a makeup kit with some accessories, but there was no curling iron or anything. "How are you even going to do this?"

"Hush girl and let me work my magic." Lindsay took her by the hands and tore her from the bed. She let out a yelp as her friend pulled her, and the desk chair, into the bathroom. "Let's begin the experimentation."

"Experimentation? What?" She looked at her horrified expression in the mirror and whined as her best friend rushed to grab all of the cosmetics she owned.

"You don't have to be a diva girly-girl to be pretty, Trina. You can be little miss athlete as you are and still be a stunning knockout, and we're going to show Jason just how lucky he is."

In the mirror, her face was still stained from prior tears, although less than they'd been before talking to Jason. She had sacs beneath her eyes and was exhausted from having been up most of the night before. Her hair was a frizzled mess, her lip were beginning to chap, and her eyes seemed to have lost their prior glow.

"I don't feel like I would say lu-" Lindsay stepped behind her and cleared her throat.

"One more negative jest at yourself, and I'm taping that pretty mouth shut." She smiled slightly and laughed as Lindsay began to pull her hair back and brush it with her hands. "What am I going to do with you, girl?"

Despite not wanting a makeover of any kind, Trina couldn't help but to feel a sense of bliss. When she looked at Lindsay in the mirror, it was amazing to see how excited the girl was to just be able to do this for her.

It was nice, because they'd never had a friend to do these sorts of activities with growing up. So it did feel like they were making up for lost time. What did she care if Lindsay wanted to 'beautify' her best friend? This was the first time she got a chance to even do something that girls might occasionally do.

"Hey Lindsay, how about I fix your hair after this?"

"I'd be delighted, but we're on a mission right now. It's all about you." Trina chuckled nervously, then slid her lips into a slight, peaceful smile. She raised an eyebrow as Lindsay pulled up a strand of hair and let several strands fall like a web. "Ooh yeah, we got our work cut out for us."

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><p>Ah the makeover has to happen, and who could deny Lindsay the joy she's dreamed of hm? Haha. Well what are your thoughts about what's going on in Trina's mind at this point? She's ventured into new territory, unknown territory and of course she's frightened, but this could be a good thing for her.<p> 


	20. First Dates and Warm Kisses

Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 20 (First Date)<p>

The next morning after her shower, she let Lindsay do her hair and style her according to their chosen style the prior night. So little makeup had been applied, yet she saw herself as looking radiant. It boosted her confidence greatly and she was excited to head out to the group.

Trina wasn't different from her usual appearance. Lindsay fluffed her hair up a bit with a comb and brush, taking a long time to remove tangles and work up the natural shine. It now flowed like cotton around her neck, with the tips curling at her shoulders. Her hair was curled behind her hair and held down with a violet headband.

Her face had a light amount of powder and blush, and she wore very subtle mascara and light eye shadow that matched her outfit. Lindsay managed to get Trina's short eyelashes to curl, making her eyes pop out like flowers. Then her lips had a subtle gloss which reflected the light and helped erase the chapped markings.

Of course she normally used a simple non-scented shampoo and body wash, but Lindsay had her use a milk and honey body wash and then cleaned out her hair with Pantene conditioner and a lilac scented shampoo.

She also wore her dark red _gi_, with the V-shaped collar. Trina smiled at herself and peered down at her nails. They weren't acrylic or painted with any vibrant of flashy color, but they had a unique shine that might catch the eye of just about anyone she wanted.

"You were right," Trina whispered, "I feel great." She took a deep breath and looked back at her friend. "I don't feel like I'm overdoing it or anything." Lindsay clasped her hands together and flashed a toothy grin.

"I told you. All you have to do is go simple. You needed to accentuate your natural beauty, not overdo it with gobs of makeup, and now at least you look like you care about your appearance." Trina curled her hands at her hips and twisted her lips while raising an eyebrow. Lindsay laughed out. "I'm joking. Come on, we don't want to be late."

"Alright…"

Lindsay ran ahead of her when they reached their group meeting, and before even reaching the door, she could hear the girl making some sort of announcement. Her eyes widened and her cheeks burned furiously as Lindsay grabbed everyone's attention.

"Introducing the one and only, the beautiful Trina Vega."

"No, Lindsay, I don't want to draw attention to myself!" She hurried in and stopped in her tracks. All eyes fell on her and she held her breath. She could feel their inquisitive stares, examining her and studying this look.

Her lower lip tucked beneath her teeth and her eyes flew towards Jason. His eyebrows had risen, but his eyes were sharp and he was smirking at the display. "Trina actually let you give her a makeover?" It was something she joked about with him in the past, since Lindsay had brought up the idea of giving each other a makeover in the past few weeks, but she never wanted to go through with it.

"That's the point." Lindsay leaned into Trina and whispered. "Now. Go get him." She rolled her eyes and walked to the desk, wincing when her eyes met his.

"Jason…I, I really didn't want to draw attention to myself, I just-"

"You look beautiful." Her heart began to flutter, and her lips separated. Trina smiled at him and leaned up against the desk. A closer look revealed a very subtle redness on his cheeks. She was in shock; people called her pretty before but this was the first time she actually agreed with the compliment

"T-Thank you." She ran her hand over her neck and bowed her head. "I don't normally feel like it, and people don't usually put me with that. I mean…um…" She dropped her hand to her side and smiled at him. "I think I'm going to get lined up. We can talk after class, right?"

"Always." As she walked towards her spot next to Lindsay, she could feel Jason's watchful gaze. Beside her, Lindsay laughed triumphantly. She turned her eyes to Jason, and the minute their gazes connected, he cleared his throat and moved to the front of the room. "Right, let's get started."

Trina's eyes drifted to the man with the cowboy hat and she tilted her head, smirking more as she thought about Lindsay and Travis. "Oh Linds?" Lindsay replied with a curious hum. "You're next." Lindsay's eyes drifted over to Travis and she started to groom her hair.

"Oh. You want to fix me up for Travis or something?"

"Revenge. That, and it's nice to have someone to do this stuff with." She wasn't sure the martial arts class was the appropriate place to get all prettied up, but at least it was all light and wouldn't cause too much of an issue.

After the class session was over, Trina happily joined Jason for a walk outside the campgrounds. This time they weren't simply hiking or going rock climbing, she had a few things that she wanted to discuss with him, as did she.

"So…what do we do now?" He locked his wrists behind his back and looked at her curiously. "I mean, this is kind of new territory for me." She took a deep breath and started to smile.

Considering he hadn't dated since Jenny, and Jenny didn't last much more than a couple weeks, it was amazing that he appeared so confident. "Me too. I guess we just learn as we go?" It was always possible that confidence was a façade, but there was no evidence of this. "That kiss, yesterday…"

"Um-" A red line appeared beneath his eyes, and he quickly cleared his throat. "Would you laugh if I said it was my first?" She brought her hand up to her chest and let her jaw hang for a second.

"I wouldn't have guessed that. It was mine too, actually." He turned to her and let out a nervous chuckle. Seeing him this way was as nice as it was cute, because for the first time she was seeing a softer side of him.

"I wouldn't have thought that."

"Well, I've dated a lot of guys, yeah, but none of them lasted long enough to where I felt like I could…be that close. The closest thing to a real kiss I've had was a stage kiss with some guy that thought there was something more."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, a real creep that guy." She swept her hair over her ear and turned her head down and away. "So, earlier when you said I was pretty…you meant that?"

"Of course. I thought you were beautiful before then. That's um, okay right?" Blood rushed to her cheeks and her heart jumped from her chest. Jason ran his hand over the back of his neck and looked away, scolding himself. "Sorry, I-"

She leaned forward and pushed herself up on her toes, kissing him on the cheek. His eyes widened momentarily and his lips curled up. "I didn't peg you to be the shy type."

"I'm not normally." He coughed into his hand and started to walk. She followed behind him and closed her hands behind her back. "It's like I said before, it's been a while since I've wanted to be involved with anyone."

"Same here." She looked off to the right and began thinking of those she'd dated in the past. A pang of fear struck her heart, and she slowly glanced at Jason. "I don't want to make you think I'm clingy and I don't want to do anything to run you off, so…if I do anything that maybe is a bit much or something, let me know. Okay?"

He raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I don't think you will."

"I just, if this can be something, I'd like to make it last."

"We'll take it slow, and we'll work on it." They approached a small pond where several ducks were swimming. Beside the pond were a few star shaped flowers. Jason reached down and picked one of the purple ones and looked to her with a bright, yet somewhat cheesy smile.

She took the flower graciously and carefully placed it between her head and the headband. "It's lovely." She wasn't really the type to like flowers, but she appreciated the sentiment. "I don't think anyone's ever quite done that before."

"Well then I'm glad to be the first." He swept his hand through his hair and started to chuckle. "I'm not one for sentimentality usually, but I could get used to that." As his shoulders fell, his nose scrunched up. "You would not believe the amount of romance stuff my mother has watched over the years…"

"You never thought they'd come in handy, I guess?"

His eyes widened. "Never." Jason looked at the pond with the ducks. His fingers connected with his chin, and his eyes focused on the animals aa though he were studying their every move. "You know, we could have snatched some bread from the cafeteria."

"Maybe next time we can." She reached for his hand, hesitating for a split second as if contemplating whether or not this course of action was appropriate. Jason's eyes darted towards her hand and he carefully placed her hand inside his. They wrapped their fingers together and Trina leaned against him. "The ducks are beautiful."

"Yeah, but they're not the most beautiful thing here that I see." He smiled at her, causing her heart to skip. "It doesn't bother you that I'm basically the guy in charge of the camp, does it?"

"Should it?"

"No." She knew people would talk. It was just the way things were, but she didn't care. "I don't want it to trouble you. People will notice we're together, I don't have a problem with it if you don't."

"People gossip all the time. I'm used to it. Lindsay told me I shouldn't let what other people say get to me, so I'm going to try not to."

"Good." Jason took a deep breath. "I don't know how, but last night, Travis seemed to already know what happened." She closed her eyes and smiled. Best friends were funny in that way. "He said I seemed 'different'. I don't know how I seemed any different than usual, but that's what he said. He asked about you and I said I was talking to you-he put two and two together and started asking all these questions."

"So he knows now? I'm not surprised. Lindsay would have told him, anyway. She was waiting for me to get back."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she was the one that encouraged me to talk to you." He chuckled. "I've felt an attraction to you for…a while now. I was so scared you wouldn't feel the same way. Then that kiss…" She turned to him and met his warm gaze. "How long have you wanted to do that?"

Jason cleared his throat and scratched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "A bit longer than I should probably admit to." Her heart swelled some more and a peculiar giddy sensation swept through her.

"Oh?"

"Let's just say you're not the only one with a best friend bugging you to talk to someone." Her body leaned towards him and stopped an inch from him. "I'm glad they did."

"So am I." She probably would never have dared herself to tell Jason how she felt had Lindsay not encouraged her to do so, and since the feelings had been mutual, she was more than happy she listened. "I guess we'll see if this is a good thing."

Jason's body leaned towards her a bit. His breath countered the cold wind that was spinning around her. "Well." He flashed a smirk and she started to swoon. Her knees buckled and a shiver shot down her spine like lightning. "You don't think they followed us?"

"I hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised. They got what they wanted, we're dating."

"It's what you want, right?"

"Yeah…and you?"

Jason's hand rose and cupped her cheek. His face softened and his eyelids slid down partially. "Yes." Her breath swept away from her and she pressed herself against him, moving her arms carefully around his body. "Cheesy as this sounds, but, I'd like to kiss you…is it stupid to ask?"

She smirked back at him. "Maybe just a little, but I think it's nice." He chuckled at her and she pushed herself up on her toes, making an effort to reach him. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you? If I trusted you…it's really difficult for me to trust someone, so if you were to hurt me-"

"No." His hand slid beneath her chin, and his thumb gently swept across her lower lip, caressing it. She closed her eyes, whimpering as his touch sent a spark into her. "I know those trust issues, and I know how it feels to be hurt by someone, so no….I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Not intentionally." Her pulse quickened and for the moment, she could feel her hot blood gushing through her veins.

She opened her eyes partially and swallowed heavily when she glanced back into his eyes. "You'll have to show me that. I'm not an easy girl to know."

"I could say the same about myself."

"Our friends really picked a hell of a person to match us up with." She began to tremble and drew out a breathless sigh as his free arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. "God. Jason, if you're going to kiss me, then-"

He cut her off with a warm and loving kiss. Her eyes shot open, then fluttered shut as his tender kiss grew deeper. His right hand fell down to her waist and locked with his left behind her back.

Trina let out a soft moan as his powerful arms pulled her body up slightly. With the rush of excitement bursting from her heart, she tightened her embrace around him and unconsciously let her left foot drift from the ground.

She let her upper body lean back, and Jason forward, dipping so much that she was almost afraid to fall over. When Jason lifted his lips up from hers, a startled gasp shot from her lips, and her hands moved up to his chest.

"How…how is it you've never kissed anyone before?" She asked. "You kiss like that…" A heated smirk appeared on his face, and his eyebrows rose.

"Like I said, my mother watches a _lot_ of romance." Trina opened her mouth to speak, but was caught up in a breathless pant and could think of nothing to counter his statement with. When she finally thought of something to say, Jason surprised her with a second powerful kiss.

Her body fell limp in his arms, and her hands dropped off his chest and hung beneath her. The bursting sensation with in her, and the pleasure she felt was something she was certain to get used to.

_"God," _she thought to herself, _"Please let this be the one that lasts."_ She brought her arms back up and slid them carefully around his neck.

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><p>Well I'd say the date went well, how about you? Haha. What are your thoughts through the chapter?<p> 


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